Methods and apparatus for using smart environment devices via application program interfaces

ABSTRACT

Systems and Methods disclosed herein relate to providing control of smart devices via data provided from or to a doorbell, via an application programming interface (API). The data provided by the doorbell may be submission data related to the doorbell, while received data may be reception data related to one or more smart devices, a smart-device environment structure hosting the smart devices, or both. Based upon the reception data and/or the submission data, a status of the doorbell and/or of the smart devices may be modified.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Patent Cooperation TreatyApplication No. PCT/US15/37215, entitled “Methods and Apparatus forUsing Smart Environment Devices via Application Program Interfaces”,filed Jun. 23, 2015, which is herein incorporated by reference in itsentirety for all purposes. Additionally, this application claimspriority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/099,959, entitled“Methods and Apparatus for Exploiting Application Programming Interfacesto Smart Home Environment Electronic Components”, filed Jun. 23, 2014,which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety for allpurposes. Additionally, this application claims priority to andincorporates by reference, in its entirety for all purposes, U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/722,003 (NEST:0051A), Ser. No. 14/722,012(NEST:0051B), Ser. No. 14/722,023 (NEST:0051C), Ser. No. 14/722,026(NEST:0051D), Ser. No. 14/722,032 (NEST:0051E), and Ser. No. 14/722,034(NEST:0051F), each entitled “METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR USING SMARTENVIRONMENT DEVICES VIA APPLICATION PROGRAM INTERFACES”, filed May 26,2015. Further, this application claims priority to and incorporates byreference, in its entirety for all purposes, U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/531,805 (NEST:0035A), entitled “INTELLIGENT CONFIGURATION OFA SMART ENVIRONMENT BASED ON ARRIVAL TIME”, filed Nov. 3, 2014, whichclaims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/016,052(NEST:0035PRO), filed Jun. 23, 2014, which is incorporated by referencein its entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

This disclosure relates to accessing data and/or controlling electronicdevices (e.g., smart devices) via one or more application programminginterfaces (APIs).

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects ofart that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure,which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed tobe helpful in providing the reader with background information tofacilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the presentdisclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statementsare to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

People interact with a number of different electronic devices on a dailybasis. In a home setting, for example, a person may interact with smartthermostats, lighting systems, alarm systems, entertainment systems, anda variety of other electronic devices. To interact with some of theseelectronic devices, a person may communicate a command using anapplication program running on another electronic device. For instance,a person may control the temperature setting on a smart thermostat usingan application program running on a smartphone. The application programmay communicate with a secure online service that interacts with thatthermostat.

To preserve the user experience associated with an electronic device,the manufacturer of the electronic device may develop the applicationprograms to control the electronic device. Opening access to theelectronic devices to third party developers, however, may potentiallyimprove the experience of some people with the devices—but only if thirdparty application programs do not cause the electronic devices to behavein an undesirable manner. Accordingly, while it may be desirable to openaccess to the electronic devices to third party developers, it may alsobe desirable to place restrictions on that access so as to reduce therisk that the third party access may negatively impact the operation ofthe electronic devices and thus the user experience associated withthose devices.

SUMMARY

A summary of certain embodiments disclosed herein is set forth below. Itshould be understood that these aspects are presented merely to providethe reader with a brief summary of these certain embodiments and thatthese aspects are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.Indeed, this disclosure may encompass a variety of aspects that may notbe set forth below.

According to embodiments of this disclosure, applications may accessdifferent installations of smart home devices (e.g., via an applicationprogramming interface (API)). Namely, the third party applications maycommunicate not directly with a smart home device, but rather through adevice service. The device service may provide a corresponding updatesignal to the target smart home device based on one or more factors suchas operation status parameters of the device.

Various refinements of the features noted above may exist in relation tovarious aspects of the present disclosure. Further features may also beincorporated in these various aspects as well. These refinements andadditional features may exist individually or in any combination. Forinstance, various features discussed below in relation to one or more ofthe illustrated embodiments may be incorporated into any of theabove-described aspects of the present disclosure alone or in anycombination. The brief summary presented above is intended only tofamiliarize the reader with certain aspects and contexts of embodimentsof the present disclosure without limitation to the claimed subjectmatter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various aspects of this disclosure may be better understood upon readingthe following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a smart home device, in accordance with anembodiment;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a connected smart home environment thatincludes a number of smart home devices, in accordance with anembodiment;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a manner of controlling and/oraccessing the smart home environment using services over the internet,in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of processing paradigms that may be used tocontrol devices of the smart home environment, in accordance with anembodiment;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a system that provides access to smart homedevices, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating various components of a systemthat includes cloud-based communication between electronic devices andsmart-environment hosted smart devices, in accordance with anembodiment;

FIG. 7 illustrates a process for providing data requests via thesubscription-based device service, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 8 illustrates a process for providing data from smart devicesand/or structures to a client, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 9 illustrates a flow diagram of a process for a user to authorize aclient to access user data in the data model via the device service, inaccordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 10 illustrates the resource access permission page of FIG. 9, inaccordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 11 illustrates a block diagram of a system for authorizing clientsto use a user's smart device data via the web, in accordance with anembodiment;

FIG. 12 illustrates a sequence diagram for authorizing clients to use auser's smart device data using the system of FIG. 11 via the web, inaccordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 13 illustrates a block diagram of a system for authorizing clientsto use a user's smart device data via a PIN when the devices do not havea web UI, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 14 illustrates a sequence diagram for authorizing clients to use auser's smart device data using the system of FIG. 13 via the PIN, inaccordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram, illustrating a system third-party vendorand device provisioning that enables consumption of third-party devicedata via the API, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 16 is a flowchart, illustrating a process for provisioningthird-party vendors and third-party devices, such that third-partydevice data may be consumed via the API, in accordance with anembodiment;

FIG. 17 is a relational diagram, illustrating a relationship of entitiesstored in the system when provisioning third-parties/third-party devicesin the system, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 18 is a schematic drawing illustrating a system for providingcontrol of the smart electronic device of FIG. 1 using an ETA, inaccordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 19 is a flowchart of a method for providing control of the smartelectronic device of FIG. 1 using an ETA, in accordance with anembodiment;

FIG. 20 is a flowchart of a method for providing control of the smartelectronic device of FIG. 1 using an ETA, in accordance with anembodiment;

FIG. 21 is a temperature profile of a thermostat using the ETA controlsystem, wherein preconditioning is active on the thermostat, inaccordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 22 is a state diagram of a thermostat using the ETA control system,wherein preconditioning is active on the thermostat, in accordance withan embodiment;

FIG. 23 is a temperature profile of a thermostat using the ETA controlsystem, wherein preconditioning is disabled on the thermostat, inaccordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 24 is a state diagram of a thermostat using the ETA control system,wherein preconditioning is disabled on the thermostat, in accordancewith an embodiment;

FIG. 25 is a temperature profile of a thermostat using the ETA controlsystem, wherein preconditioning is enabled during an away mode, inaccordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 26 is a flowchart illustrating a method for validating an ETA, inaccordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 27 is a flowchart illustrating a method for defining apre-conditioning window statically, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 28 is a schematic drawing of a system using a staticpre-conditioning window, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 29 is a flowchart illustrating a method for defining apre-conditioning window dynamically, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 30 is a schematic drawing of a system using a dynamicpre-conditioning window, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 31 is a schematic drawing of a system for providing control of thesmart electronic device of FIG. 1 using ETA conflict logic, inaccordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 32 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for transitioningtemperatures based upon an estimated time of arrival, in accordance withan embodiment;

FIG. 33 is block diagram illustrating window creation for the method ofFIG. 6, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 34 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for controlling devicesusing geo-fencing, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 35 is a block diagram illustrating a set of geo-fence boundaries,in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 36 is a block diagram illustrating a geo-fencing application on ahandheld electronic device, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIGS. 37 and 38 are block diagrams illustrating vehicle interactionswith smart devices, in accordance with one or more embodiments;

FIGS. 39 and 40 are block diagrams illustrating automation systeminteractions with smart devices, in accordance with one or moreembodiments;

FIG. 41 is a block diagram of a system that integrates householdappliances with a thermostat, smoke/carbon monoxide detector, or both,in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 42 is a block diagram illustrating a system providing relationalcontrol/reporting relating to a smart ceiling fan in the smartenvironment, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 43 is a block diagram illustrating control/reporting relating tosmart shades within a smart-device enabled environment, in accordancewith an embodiment;

FIG. 44 is a block diagram illustrating a system including relationalcontrol/reporting of smart sprinklers, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 45 is a block diagram of garage interactions with a thermostat,smoke/carbon monoxide detector, and/or other smart devices, inaccordance with an embodiment;

FIGS. 46 and 47 are block diagrams illustrating control/reportingrelating to smart lighting and/or electrical systems within asmart-device enabled environment, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 48 is a block diagram illustrating control/reporting relating tosmart plugs 680 and smart devices in a smart environment, in accordancewith an embodiment;

FIG. 49 is a block diagram illustrating control/reporting relating to asmart key system in the smart environment, in accordance with anembodiment;

FIG. 50 is a block diagram illustrating control/reporting betweenrelating to a smart-lock in a smart-device enabled environment, inaccordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 51 is a block diagram illustrating control/reporting relating towireless sensors in the smart environment, in accordance with anembodiment;

FIGS. 52 and 53 are block diagrams illustrating an audio systemintegrated with smart devices, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 54 is a block diagram illustrating a system that integrateswearable devices with smart devices, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 55 is a block diagram illustrating a system that integrates awearable smart baby monitor with smart devices, in accordance with anembodiment;

FIG. 56 is a block diagram illustrating a system that integrates a smartbed cover and/or a smart bedside sleep detector with smart devices, inaccordance with one or more embodiments;

FIG. 57 is a schematic illustration of a conditional rule where athermostat, a smoke/carbon monoxide detector, or both are outputs, inaccordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 58 is a schematic illustration of a conditional rule where datafrom a thermostat, a smoke/carbon monoxide detector, or both areconditions, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 59 is a block diagram of a system that integrates a booking servicewith a thermostat, smoke/carbon monoxide detector, an alarm system, orcombination thereof, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 60 is a block diagram illustrating a system that integrates a VoIPphone system with smart devices, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 61 is a block diagram illustrating control/reporting relating tosmart video cameras in the smart environment, in accordance with anembodiment;

FIG. 62 is an illustration of an integration of a smart faucet, smartshower and/or water heater systems in the smart environment, inaccordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 63 is an illustration of insurance service providers interactingwith the smart devices and/or a smart environment, in accordance with anembodiment; and

FIG. 64 is an illustration of building management services interactingwith the smart devices and/or a smart environment, in accordance with anembodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

One or more specific embodiments will be described below. In an effortto provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all featuresof an actual implementation are described in the specification. Itshould be appreciated that in the development of any such actualimplementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerousimplementation-specific decisions may be made to achieve the developers'specific goals, such as compliance with system-related andbusiness-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation toanother. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a developmenteffort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be aroutine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those ofordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an electronic device,such as a thermostat or a hazard detector (e.g., smoke detector, carbonmonoxide detector, etc.), that may be disposed in a building (e.g., homeor office) such that the electronic device may detect the presence of ahuman being in the building and distinguish between the presence of thehuman being and a pet. Generally, the electronic device may employ asensor, such as a passive infrared (PIR) sensor, to detect the presenceof a human being. However, each PIR sensor may be inherently sensitiveto different levels of noise. By accounting for the differentsensitivity levels of each PIR sensor, the electronic device may improveits detection of human beings and better distinguish between thepresence of human beings and pets.

Keeping this in mind, the electronic device may include a low-powerprocessor that may store the sensor measurements acquired by the PIRsensor during a time period when the electronic device does not expect ahuman in the building or portion of the building being monitored byelectronic device is not expected to have a human being present. In oneembodiment, after storing the sensor measurements over some period oftime, the low-power processor may send the stored sensor measurements toa high-power processor of the electronic device. The high-powerprocessor may then calculate a threshold or adjust the previousthreshold for determining a presence of a human based on the storedsensor measurements that correspond to the time period when a humanbeing is likely not present in the building. The high-power processormay then send the newly calculated or the adjusted threshold to thelow-power processor. The low-power processor may then use the newlycalculated or the adjusted threshold to detect the presence of a human.Since the new threshold is calculated based on the respective sensormeasurements for the respective PIR sensor of a respective electronicdevice, the new threshold may compensate for the inherent sensitivitycharacteristics of the respective PIR sensor. As a result, theelectronic device may detect the presence of a human being moreeffectively and efficiently.

Smart Device in Smart Home Environment

By way of introduction, FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a generaldevice 10 that may that may be disposed within a building environment.In one embodiment, the device 10 may include one or more sensors 12, auser-interface component 14, a power supply 16 (e.g., including a powerconnection and/or battery), a network interface 18, a high-powerprocessor 20, a low-power processor 22, a passive infrared (PIR) sensor24, a light source 26, and the like.

The sensors 12, in certain embodiments, may detect various propertiessuch as acceleration, temperature, humidity, water, supplied power,proximity, external motion, device motion, sound signals, ultrasoundsignals, light signals, fire, smoke, carbon monoxide,global-positioning-satellite (GPS) signals, radio-frequency (RF), otherelectromagnetic signals or fields, or the like. As such, the sensors 12may include temperature sensor(s), humidity sensor(s), hazard-relatedsensor(s) or other environmental sensor(s), accelerometer(s),microphone(s), optical sensors up to and including camera(s) (e.g.,charged coupled-device or video cameras), active or passive radiationsensors, GPS receiver(s) or radiofrequency identification detector(s).While FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment with a single sensor, manyembodiments may include multiple sensors. In some instances, the device10 may include one or more primary sensors and one or more secondarysensors. Here, the primary sensor(s) may sense data central to the coreoperation of the device (e.g., sensing a temperature in a thermostat orsensing smoke in a smoke detector), while the secondary sensor(s) maysense other types of data (e.g., motion, light or sound), which can beused for energy-efficiency objectives or smart-operation objectives.

One or more user-interface components 14 in the device 10 may receiveinput from the user and/or present information to the user. The receivedinput may be used to determine a setting. In certain embodiments, theuser-interface components may include a mechanical or virtual componentthat responds to the user's motion. For example, the user canmechanically move a sliding component (e.g., along a vertical orhorizontal track) or rotate a rotatable ring (e.g., along a circulartrack), or the user's motion along a touchpad may be detected. Suchmotions may correspond to a setting adjustment, which can be determinedbased on an absolute position of a user-interface component 14 or basedon a displacement of a user-interface components 14 (e.g., adjusting aset point temperature by 1 degree F. for every 10° rotation of arotatable-ring component). Physically and virtually movableuser-interface components can allow a user to set a setting along aportion of an apparent continuum. Thus, the user may not be confined tochoose between two discrete options (e.g., as would be the case if upand down buttons were used) but can quickly and intuitively define asetting along a range of possible setting values. For example, amagnitude of a movement of a user-interface component may be associatedwith a magnitude of a setting adjustment, such that a user maydramatically alter a setting with a large movement or finely tune asetting with a small movement.

The user-interface components 14 may also include one or more buttons(e.g., up and down buttons), a keypad, a number pad, a switch, amicrophone, and/or a camera (e.g., to detect gestures). In oneembodiment, the user-interface component 14 may include aclick-and-rotate annular ring component that may enable the user tointeract with the component by rotating the ring (e.g., to adjust asetting) and/or by clicking the ring inwards (e.g., to select anadjusted setting or to select an option). In another embodiment, theuser-interface component 14 may include a camera that may detectgestures (e.g., to indicate that a power or alarm state of a device isto be changed). In some instances, the device 10 may have one primaryinput component, which may be used to set a plurality of types ofsettings. The user-interface components 14 may also be configured topresent information to a user via, e.g., a visual display (e.g., athin-film-transistor display or organic light-emitting-diode display)and/or an audio speaker.

The power-supply component 16 may include a power connection and/or alocal battery. For example, the power connection may connect the device10 to a power source such as a line voltage source. In some instances,an AC power source can be used to repeatedly charge a (e.g.,rechargeable) local battery, such that the battery may be used later tosupply power to the device 10 when the AC power source is not available.

The network interface 18 may include a component that enables the device10 to communicate between devices. As such, the network interface 18 mayenable the device 10 to communicate with other devices 10 via a wired orwireless network. The network interface 18 may include a wireless cardor some other transceiver connection to facilitate this communication.

The high-power processor 20 and the low-power processor 22 may supportone or more of a variety of different device functionalities. As such,the high-power processor 20 and the low-power processor 22 may eachinclude one or more processors configured and programmed to carry outand/or cause to be carried out one or more of the functionalitiesdescribed herein. In one embodiment, the high-power processor 20 and thelow-power processor 22 may include general-purpose processors carryingout computer code stored in local memory (e.g., flash memory, harddrive, and/or random access memory), special-purpose processors orapplication-specific integrated circuits, combinations thereof, and/orusing other types of hardware/firmware/software processing platforms. Incertain embodiments, the high-power processor 20 may executecomputationally intensive operations such as operating theuser-interface component 14 and the like. The low-power processor 22, onthe other hand, may manage less complex processes such as detecting ahazard or temperature from the sensor 12. In one embodiment, thelow-power processor may wake or initialize the high-power processor forcomputationally intensive processes.

By way of example, the high-power processor 20 and the low-powerprocessor 22 may detect when a location (e.g., a house or room) isoccupied (i.e., includes a presence of a human), up to and includingwhether it is occupied by a specific person or is occupied by a specificnumber of people (e.g., relative to one or more thresholds). In oneembodiment, this detection can occur, e.g., by analyzing microphonesignals, detecting user movements (e.g., in front of a device),detecting openings and closings of doors or garage doors, detectingwireless signals, detecting an internet protocol (IP) address of areceived signal, detecting operation of one or more devices within atime window, or the like. Moreover, the high-power processor 20 and thelow-power processor 22 may include image recognition technology toidentify particular occupants or objects.

In certain embodiments, the high-power processor 20 and the low-powerprocessor 22 may detect the presence of a human using the PIR sensor 24.The PIR sensor 24 may be a passive infrared sensor that may measuresinfrared (IR) light radiating from objects in its field of view. Assuch, the PIR sensor 24 may detect the Infrared radiation emitted froman object.

In some instances, the high-power processor 20 may predict desirablesettings and/or implement those settings. For example, based on thepresence detection, the high-power processor 20 may adjust devicesettings to, e.g., conserve power when nobody is home or in a particularroom or to accord with user preferences (e.g., general at-homepreferences or user-specific preferences). As another example, based onthe detection of a particular person, animal or object (e.g., a child,pet or lost object), the high-power processor 20 may initiate an audioor visual indicator of where the person, animal or object is or mayinitiate an alarm or security feature if an unrecognized person isdetected under certain conditions (e.g., at night or when lights areoff).

In some instances, devices may interact with each other such that eventsdetected by a first device influence actions of a second device. Forexample, a first device can detect that a user has entered into a garage(e.g., by detecting motion in the garage, detecting a change in light inthe garage or detecting opening of the garage door). The first devicecan transmit this information to a second device via the networkinterface 18, such that the second device can, e.g., adjust a hometemperature setting, a light setting, a music setting, and/or asecurity-alarm setting. As another example, a first device can detect auser approaching a front door (e.g., by detecting motion or sudden lightpattern changes). The first device may, e.g., cause a general audio orvisual signal to be presented (e.g., such as sounding of a doorbell) orcause a location-specific audio or visual signal to be presented (e.g.,to announce the visitor's presence within a room that a user isoccupying).

In addition to detecting various types of events, the device 10 mayinclude a light source 26 that may illuminate when a living being, suchas a human, is detected as approaching. The light source 26 may includeany type of light source such as one or more light-emitting diodes orthe like. The light source 26 may be communicatively coupled to thehigh-power processor 20 and the low-power processor 22, which mayprovide a signal to cause the light source 26 to illuminate.

Keeping the foregoing in mind, FIG. 2 illustrates an example of asmart-home environment 30 within which one or more of the devices 10 ofFIG. 1, methods, systems, services, and/or computer program productsdescribed further herein can be applicable. The depicted smart-homeenvironment 30 includes a structure 32, which can include, e.g., ahouse, office building, garage, or mobile home. It will be appreciatedthat devices can also be integrated into a smart-home environment 30that does not include an entire structure 32, such as an apartment,condominium, or office space. Further, the smart home environment cancontrol and/or be coupled to devices outside of the actual structure 32.Indeed, several devices in the smart home environment need notphysically be within the structure 32 at all. For example, a devicecontrolling a pool heater or irrigation system can be located outside ofthe structure 32.

The depicted structure 32 includes a plurality of rooms 38, separated atleast partly from each other via walls 40. The walls 40 can includeinterior walls or exterior walls. Each room can further include a floor42 and a ceiling 44. Devices can be mounted on, integrated with and/orsupported by a wall 40, floor 42 or ceiling 44.

In some embodiments, the smart-home environment 30 of FIG. 2 includes aplurality of devices 10, including intelligent, multi-sensing,network-connected devices, that can integrate seamlessly with each otherand/or with a central server or a cloud-computing system to provide anyof a variety of useful smart-home objectives. The smart-home environment30 may include one or more intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connectedthermostats 46 (hereinafter referred to as “smart thermostats 46”), oneor more intelligent, network-connected, multi-sensing hazard detectionunits 50 (hereinafter referred to as “smart hazard detectors 50”), andone or more intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected entrywayinterface devices 52 (hereinafter referred to as “smart doorbells 52”).According to embodiments, the smart thermostat 46 may include a Nest®Learning Thermostat—1st Generation T100577 or Nest® LearningThermostat—2nd Generation T200577 by Nest Labs, Inc., among others. Thesmart thermostat 46 detects ambient climate characteristics (e.g.,temperature and/or humidity) and controls a HVAC system 48 accordingly.

The smart hazard detector 50 may detect the presence of a hazardoussubstance or a substance indicative of a hazardous substance (e.g.,smoke, fire, or carbon monoxide). The smart hazard detector 50 mayinclude a Nest® Protect that may include sensors 12 such as smokesensors, carbon monoxide sensors, and the like. As such, the hazarddetector 50 may determine when smoke, fire, or carbon monoxide may bepresent within the building.

The smart doorbell 52 may detect a person's approach to or departurefrom a location (e.g., an outer door), control doorbell functionality,announce a person's approach or departure via audio or visual means, orcontrol settings on a security system (e.g., to activate or deactivatethe security system when occupants go and come). The smart doorbell 52may interact with other devices 10 based on whether someone hasapproached or entered the smart-home environment 30.

In some embodiments, the smart-home environment 30 further includes oneor more intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected wall switches 54(hereinafter referred to as “smart wall switches 54”), along with one ormore intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected wall plug interfaces56 (hereinafter referred to as “smart wall plugs 56”). The smart wallswitches 54 may detect ambient lighting conditions, detectroom-occupancy states, and control a power and/or dim state of one ormore lights. In some instances, smart wall switches 54 may also controla power state or speed of a fan, such as a ceiling fan. The smart wallplugs 56 may detect occupancy of a room or enclosure and control supplyof power to one or more wall plugs (e.g., such that power is notsupplied to the plug if nobody is at home).

Still further, in some embodiments, the device 10 within the smart-homeenvironment 30 may further includes a plurality of intelligent,multi-sensing, network-connected appliances 58 (hereinafter referred toas “smart appliances 58”), such as refrigerators, stoves and/or ovens,televisions, washers, dryers, lights, stereos, intercom systems,garage-door openers, floor fans, ceiling fans, wall air conditioners,pool heaters, irrigation systems, security systems, and so forth.According to embodiments, the network-connected appliances 58 are madecompatible with the smart-home environment by cooperating with therespective manufacturers of the appliances. For example, the appliancescan be space heaters, window AC units, motorized duct vents, etc. Whenplugged in, an appliance can announce itself to the smart-home network,such as by indicating what type of appliance it is, and it canautomatically integrate with the controls of the smart-home. Suchcommunication by the appliance to the smart home can be facilitated byany wired or wireless communication protocols known by those havingordinary skill in the art. The smart home also can include a variety ofnon-communicating legacy appliances 68, such as old conventionalwasher/dryers, refrigerators, and the like which can be controlled,albeit coarsely (ON/OFF), by virtue of the smart wall plugs 56. Thesmart-home environment 30 can further include a variety of partiallycommunicating legacy appliances, such as infrared (“IR”) controlled wallair conditioners 70 or other IR-controlled devices, which can becontrolled by IR signals provided by the smart hazard detectors 50 orthe smart wall switches 54.

According to embodiments, the smart thermostats 46, the smart hazarddetectors 50, the smart doorbells 52, the smart wall switches 54, thesmart wall plugs 56, and other devices of the smart-home environment 30are modular and can be incorporated into older and new houses. Forexample, the devices 10 are designed around a modular platformconsisting of two basic components: a head unit and a back plate, whichis also referred to as a docking station. Multiple configurations of thedocking station are provided so as to be compatible with any home, suchas older and newer homes. However, all of the docking stations include astandard head-connection arrangement, such that any head unit can beremovably attached to any docking station. Thus, in some embodiments,the docking stations are interfaces that serve as physical connectionsto the structure and the voltage wiring of the homes, and theinterchangeable head units contain all of the sensors 12, processors 28,user interfaces 14, the power supply 16, the network interface 18, andother functional components of the devices described above.

Many different commercial and functional possibilities for provisioning,maintenance, and upgrade are possible. For example, after years of usingany particular head unit, a user will be able to buy a new version ofthe head unit and simply plug it into the old docking station. There arealso many different versions for the head units, such as low-costversions with few features, and then a progression ofincreasingly-capable versions, up to and including extremely fancy headunits with a large number of features. Thus, it should be appreciatedthat the various versions of the head units can all be interchangeable,with any of them working when placed into any docking station. This canadvantageously encourage sharing and re-deployment of old head units—forexample, when an important high-capability head unit, such as a hazarddetector, is replaced by a new version of the head unit, then the oldhead unit can be re-deployed to a back room or basement, etc. Accordingto embodiments, when first plugged into a docking station, the head unitcan ask the user (by 2D LCD display, 2D/3D holographic projection, voiceinteraction, etc.) a few simple questions such as, “Where am I” and theuser can indicate “living room”, “kitchen” and so forth.

The smart-home environment 30 may also include communication withdevices outside of the physical home but within a proximate geographicalrange of the home. For example, the smart-home environment 30 mayinclude a pool heater monitor 34 that communicates a current pooltemperature to other devices within the smart-home environment 30 orreceives commands for controlling the pool temperature. Similarly, thesmart-home environment 30 may include an irrigation monitor 36 thatcommunicates information regarding irrigation systems within thesmart-home environment 30 and/or receives control information forcontrolling such irrigation systems. According to embodiments, analgorithm is provided for considering the geographic location of thesmart-home environment 30, such as based on the zip code or geographiccoordinates of the home. The geographic information is then used toobtain data helpful for determining optimal times for watering, suchdata may include sun location information, temperature, dewpoint, soiltype of the land on which the home is located, etc.

By virtue of network connectivity, one or more of the smart-home devicesof FIG. 2 can further allow a user to interact with the device even ifthe user is not proximate to the device. For example, a user cancommunicate with a device using a computer (e.g., a desktop computer,laptop computer, or tablet) or other portable electronic device (e.g., asmartphone) 66. A web page or app can be configured to receivecommunications from the user and control the device based on thecommunications and/or to present information about the device'soperation to the user. For example, the user can view a current setpointtemperature for a device and adjust it using a computer. The user can bein the structure during this remote communication or outside thestructure.

As discussed, users can control the smart thermostat and other smartdevices in the smart-home environment 30 using a network-connectedcomputer or portable electronic device 66. In some examples, some or allof the occupants (e.g., individuals who live in the home) can registertheir device 66 with the smart-home environment 30. Such registrationcan be made at a central server to authenticate the occupant and/or thedevice as being associated with the home and to give permission to theoccupant to use the device to control the smart devices in the home. Anoccupant can use their registered device 66 to remotely control thesmart devices of the home, such as when the occupant is at work or onvacation. The occupant may also use their registered device to controlthe smart devices when the occupant is actually located inside the home,such as when the occupant is sitting on a couch inside the home. Itshould be appreciated that instead of or in addition to registeringdevices 66, the smart-home environment 30 makes inferences about whichindividuals live in the home and are therefore occupants and whichdevices 66 are associated with those individuals. As such, thesmart-home environment “learns” who is an occupant and permits thedevices 66 associated with those individuals to control the smartdevices of the home.

In some instances, guests desire to control the smart devices. Forexample, the smart-home environment may receive communication from anunregistered mobile device of an individual inside of the home, wheresaid individual is not recognized as an occupant of the home. Further,for example, a smart-home environment may receive communication from amobile device of an individual who is known to be or who is registeredas a guest.

According to embodiments, a guest-layer of controls can be provided toguests of the smart-home environment 30. The guest-layer of controlsgives guests access to basic controls (e.g., a judicially selectedsubset of features of the smart devices), such as temperatureadjustments, but it locks out other functionalities. The guest layer ofcontrols can be thought of as a “safe sandbox” in which guests havelimited controls, but they do not have access to more advanced controlsthat could fundamentally alter, undermine, damage, or otherwise impairthe occupant-desired operation of the smart devices. For example, theguest layer of controls will not permit the guest to adjust theheat-pump lockout temperature.

A use case example of this is when a guest is in a smart home, the guestcould walk up to the thermostat and turn the dial manually, but theguest may not want to walk around the house “hunting” for thethermostat, especially at night while the home is dark and others aresleeping. Further, the guest may not want to go through the hassle ofdownloading the necessary application to their device for remotelycontrolling the thermostat. In fact, the guest may not have the homeowner's login credentials, etc., and therefore cannot remotely controlthe thermostat via such an application. Accordingly, according toembodiments of the invention, the guest can open a mobile browser ontheir mobile device, type a keyword, such as “NEST” into the URL fieldand tap “Go” or “Search”, etc. In response, the device presents theguest with a user interface which allows the guest to move the targettemperature between a limited range, such as 65 and 80 degreesFahrenheit. As discussed, the user interface provides a guest layer ofcontrols that are limited to basic functions. The guest cannot changethe target humidity, modes, or view energy history.

According to embodiments, to enable guests to access the user interfacethat provides the guest layer of controls, a local webserver is providedthat is accessible in the local area network (LAN). It does not requirea password, because physical presence inside the home is establishedreliably enough by the guest's presence on the LAN. In some embodiments,during installation of the smart device, such as the smart thermostat,the home owner is asked if they want to enable a Local Web App (LWA) onthe smart device. Business owners will likely say no; home owners willlikely say yes. When the LWA option is selected, the smart devicebroadcasts to the LAN that the above referenced keyword, such as “NEST”,is now a host alias for its local web server. Thus, no matter whose homea guest goes to, that same keyword (e.g., “NEST”) is always the URL youuse to access the LWA, provided the smart device is purchased from thesame manufacturer. Further, according to embodiments, if there is morethan one smart device on the LAN, the second and subsequent smartdevices do not offer to set up another LWA. Instead, they registerthemselves as target candidates with the master LWA. And in this casethe LWA user would be asked which smart device they want to change thetemperature on before getting the simplified user interface for theparticular smart device they choose.

According to embodiments, a guest layer of controls may also be providedto users by means other than a device 66. For example, the smart device,such as the smart thermostat, may be equipped with walkup-identificationtechnology (e.g., face recognition, RFID, ultrasonic sensors) that“fingerprints” or creates a “signature” for the occupants of the home.The walkup-identification technology can be the same as or similar tothe fingerprinting and signature creating techniques described in othersections of this application. In operation, when a person who does notlive in the home or is otherwise not registered with the smart home orwhose fingerprint or signature is not recognized by the smart home“walks up” to a smart device, the smart device provides the guest withthe guest layer of controls, rather than full controls.

As described below, the smart thermostat 46 and other smart devices“learn” by observing occupant behavior. For example, the smartthermostat learns occupants' preferred temperature set-points formornings and evenings, and it learns when the occupants are asleep orawake, as well as when the occupants are typically away or at home, forexample. According to embodiments, when a guest controls the smartdevices, such as the smart thermostat, the smart devices do not “learn”from the guest. This prevents the guest's adjustments and controls fromaffecting the learned preferences of the occupants.

According to some embodiments, a smart television remote control isprovided. The smart remote control recognizes occupants by thumbprint,visual identification, RFID, etc., and it recognizes a user as a guestor as someone belonging to a particular class having limited control andaccess (e.g., child). Upon recognizing the user as a guest or someonebelonging to a limited class, the smart remote control only permits thatuser to view a subset of channels and to make limited adjustments to thesettings of the television and other devices. For example, a guestcannot adjust the digital video recorder (DVR) settings, and a child islimited to viewing child-appropriate programming.

According to some embodiments, similar controls are provided for otherinstruments, utilities, and devices in the house. For example, sinks,bathtubs, and showers can be controlled by smart spigots that recognizeusers as guests or as children and therefore prevent water fromexceeding a designated temperature that is considered safe.

In some embodiments, in addition to containing processing and sensingcapabilities, each of the devices 34, 36, 46, 50, 52, 54, 56, and 58(collectively referred to as “the smart devices”) is capable of datacommunications and information sharing with any other of the smartdevices, as well as to any central server or cloud-computing system orany other device that is network-connected anywhere in the world. Therequired data communications can be carried out using any of a varietyof custom or standard wireless protocols (Wi-Fi, ZigBee, 6LoWPAN, etc.)and/or any of a variety of custom or standard wired protocols (CAT6Ethernet, HomePlug, etc.).

According to embodiments, all or some of the smart devices can serve aswireless or wired repeaters. For example, a first one of the smartdevices can communicate with a second one of the smart device via awireless router 60. The smart devices can further communicate with eachother via a connection to a network, such as the Internet 62. Throughthe Internet 62, the smart devices can communicate with a central serveror a cloud-computing system 64. The central server or cloud-computingsystem 64 can be associated with a manufacturer, support entity, orservice provider associated with the device. For one embodiment, a usermay be able to contact customer support using a device itself ratherthan needing to use other communication means such as a telephone orInternet-connected computer. Further, software updates can beautomatically sent from the central server or cloud-computing system 64to devices (e.g., when available, when purchased, or at routineintervals).

According to embodiments, the smart devices combine to create a meshnetwork of spokesman and low-power nodes in the smart-home environment30, where some of the smart devices are “spokesman” nodes and others are“low-powered” nodes. Some of the smart devices in the smart-homeenvironment 30 are battery powered, while others have a regular andreliable power source, such as by connecting to wiring (e.g., to 120Vline voltage wires) behind the walls 40 of the smart-home environment.The smart devices that have a regular and reliable power source arereferred to as “spokesman” nodes. These nodes are equipped with thecapability of using any wireless protocol or manner to facilitatebidirectional communication with any of a variety of other devices inthe smart-home environment 30 as well as with the central server orcloud-computing system 64. On the other hand, the devices that arebattery powered are referred to as “low-power” nodes. These nodes tendto be smaller than spokesman nodes and can only communicate usingwireless protocols that requires very little power, such as Zigbee,6LoWPAN, etc. Further, some, but not all, low-power nodes are incapableof bidirectional communication. These low-power nodes send messages, butthey are unable to “listen”. Thus, other devices in the smart-homeenvironment 30, such as the spokesman nodes, cannot send information tothese low-power nodes.

As described, the smart devices serve as low-power and spokesman nodesto create a mesh network in the smart-home environment 30. Individuallow-power nodes in the smart-home environment regularly send outmessages regarding what they are sensing, and the other low-powerednodes in the smart-home environment—in addition to sending out their ownmessages—repeat the messages, thereby causing the messages to travelfrom node to node (i.e., device to device) throughout the smart-homeenvironment 30. The spokesman nodes in the smart-home environment 30 areable to “drop down” to low-powered communication protocols to receivethese messages, translate the messages to other communication protocols,and send the translated messages to other spokesman nodes and/or thecentral server or cloud-computing system 64. Thus, the low-powered nodesusing low-power communication protocols are able to send messages acrossthe entire smart-home environment 30 as well as over the Internet 62 tothe central server or cloud-computing system 64. According toembodiments, the mesh network enables the central server orcloud-computing system 64 to regularly receive data from all of thesmart devices in the home, make inferences based on the data, and sendcommands back to one of the smart devices to accomplish some of thesmart-home objectives described herein.

As described, the spokesman nodes and some of the low-powered nodes arecapable of “listening”. Accordingly, users, other devices, and thecentral server or cloud-computing system 64 can communicate controls tothe low-powered nodes. For example, a user can use the portableelectronic device (e.g., a smartphone) 66 to send commands over theInternet 62 to the central server or cloud-computing system 64, whichthen relays the commands to the spokesman nodes in the smart-homeenvironment 30. The spokesman nodes drop down to a low-power protocol tocommunicate the commands to the low-power nodes throughout thesmart-home environment, as well as to other spokesman nodes that did notreceive the commands directly from the central server or cloud-computingsystem 64.

An example of a low-power node is a smart night light 65. In addition tohousing a light source, the smart night light 65 houses an occupancysensor, such as an ultrasonic or passive IR sensor, and an ambient lightsensor, such as a photoresistor or a single-pixel sensor that measureslight in the room. In some embodiments, the smart night light 65 isconfigured to activate the light source when its ambient light sensordetects that the room is dark and when its occupancy sensor detects thatsomeone is in the room. In other embodiments, the smart night light 65is simply configured to activate the light source when its ambient lightsensor detects that the room is dark. Further, according to embodiments,the smart night light 65 includes a low-power wireless communicationchip (e.g., ZigBee chip) that regularly sends out messages regarding theoccupancy of the room and the amount of light in the room, includinginstantaneous messages coincident with the occupancy sensor detectingthe presence of a person in the room. As mentioned above, these messagesmay be sent wirelessly, using the mesh network, from node to node (i.e.,smart device to smart device) within the smart-home environment 30 aswell as over the Internet 62 to the central server or cloud-computingsystem 64.

Other examples of low-powered nodes include battery-operated versions ofthe smart hazard detectors 50. These smart hazard detectors 50 are oftenlocated in an area without access to constant and reliable power and, asdiscussed in detail below, may include any number and type of sensors,such as smoke/fire/heat sensors, carbon monoxide/dioxide sensors,occupancy/motion sensors, ambient light sensors, temperature sensors,humidity sensors, and the like. Furthermore, smart hazard detectors 50can send messages that correspond to each of the respective sensors tothe other devices and the central server or cloud-computing system 64,such as by using the mesh network as described above.

Examples of spokesman nodes include smart thermostats 46, smartdoorbells 52, smart wall switches 54, and smart wall plugs 56. Thesedevices 46, 52, 54, and 56 are often located near and connected to areliable power source, and therefore can include more power-consumingcomponents, such as one or more communication chips capable ofbidirectional communication in any variety of protocols.

In some embodiments, these low-powered and spokesman nodes (e.g.,devices 46, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, and 65) can function as “tripwires” foran alarm system in the smart-home environment. For example, in the eventa perpetrator circumvents detection by alarm sensors located at windows,doors, and other entry points of the smart-home environment 30, thealarm could be triggered upon receiving an occupancy, motion, heat,sound, etc. message from one or more of the low-powered and spokesmannodes in the mesh network. For example, upon receiving a message from asmart night light 65 indicating the presence of a person, the centralserver or cloud-computing system 64 or some other device could triggeran alarm, provided the alarm is armed at the time of detection. Thus,the alarm system could be enhanced by various low-powered and spokesmannodes located throughout the smart-home environment 30. In this example,a user could enhance the security of the smart-home environment 30 bybuying and installing extra smart nightlights 65. However, in a scenariowhere the perpetrator uses a radio transceiver to jam the wirelessnetwork, the devices 10 may be incapable of communicating with eachother. Therefore, as discussed in detail below, the present techniquesprovide network communication jamming attack detection and notificationsolutions to such a problem.

In some embodiments, the mesh network can be used to automatically turnon and off lights as a person transitions from room to room. Forexample, the low-powered and spokesman nodes detect the person'smovement through the smart-home environment and communicatecorresponding messages through the mesh network. Using the messages thatindicate which rooms are occupied, the central server or cloud-computingsystem 64 or some other device activates and deactivates the smart wallswitches 54 to automatically provide light as the person moves from roomto room in the smart-home environment 30. Further, users may providepre-configuration information that indicates which smart wall plugs 56provide power to lamps and other light sources, such as the smart nightlight 65. Alternatively, this mapping of light sources to wall plugs 56can be done automatically (e.g., the smart wall plugs 56 detect when alight source is plugged into it, and it sends a corresponding message tothe central server or cloud-computing system 64). Using this mappinginformation in combination with messages that indicate which rooms areoccupied, the central server or cloud-computing system 64 or some otherdevice activates and deactivates the smart wall plugs 56 that providepower to lamps and other light sources so as to track the person'smovement and provide light as the person moves from room to room.

In some embodiments, the mesh network of low-powered and spokesman nodescan be used to provide exit lighting in the event of an emergency. Insome instances, to facilitate this, users provide pre-configurationinformation that indicates exit routes in the smart-home environment 30.For example, for each room in the house, the user provides a map of thebest exit route. It should be appreciated that instead of a userproviding this information, the central server or cloud-computing system64 or some other device could automatically determine the routes usinguploaded maps, diagrams, architectural drawings of the smart-home house,as well as using a map generated based on positional informationobtained from the nodes of the mesh network (e.g., positionalinformation from the devices is used to construct a map of the house).In operation, when an alarm is activated (e.g., when one or more of thesmart hazard detector 50 detects smoke and activates an alarm), thecentral server or cloud-computing system 64 or some other device usesoccupancy information obtained from the low-powered and spokesman nodesto determine which rooms are occupied and then turns on lights (e.g.,nightlights 65, wall switches 54, wall plugs 56 that power lamps, etc.)along the exit routes from the occupied rooms so as to provide emergencyexit lighting.

Further included and illustrated in the smart-home environment 30 ofFIG. 2 are service robots 69 each configured to carry out, in anautonomous manner, any of a variety of household tasks. For someembodiments, the service robots 69 can be respectively configured toperform floor sweeping, floor washing, etc. in a manner similar to thatof known commercially available devices such as the ROOMBA™ and SCOOBA™products sold by iRobot, Inc. of Bedford, Mass. Tasks such as floorsweeping and floor washing can be considered as “away” or “while-away”tasks for purposes of the instant description, as it is generally moredesirable for these tasks to be performed when the occupants are notpresent. For other embodiments, one or more of the service robots 69 areconfigured to perform tasks such as playing music for an occupant,serving as a localized thermostat for an occupant, serving as alocalized air monitor/purifier for an occupant, serving as a localizedbaby monitor, serving as a localized hazard detector for an occupant,and so forth, it being generally more desirable for such tasks to becarried out in the immediate presence of the human occupant. Forpurposes of the instant description, such tasks can be considered as“human-facing” or “human-centric” tasks.

When serving as a localized thermostat for an occupant, a particular oneof the service robots 69 can be considered to be facilitating what canbe called a “personal comfort-area network” for the occupant, with theobjective being to keep the occupant's immediate space at a comfortabletemperature wherever that occupant may be located in the home. This canbe contrasted with conventional wall-mounted room thermostats, whichhave the more attenuated objective of keeping a statically-definedstructural space at a comfortable temperature. According to oneembodiment, the localized-thermostat service robot 69 is configured tomove itself into the immediate presence (e.g., within five feet) of aparticular occupant who has settled into a particular location in thehome (e.g. in the dining room to eat their breakfast and read the news).The localized-thermostat service robot 69 includes a temperature sensor,a processor, and wireless communication components configured such thatcontrol communications with the HVAC system, either directly or througha wall-mounted wirelessly communicating thermostat coupled to the HVACsystem, are maintained and such that the temperature in the immediatevicinity of the occupant is maintained at their desired level. If theoccupant then moves and settles into another location (e.g. to theliving room couch to watch television), the localized-thermostat servicerobot 69 proceeds to move and park itself next to the couch and keepthat particular immediate space at a comfortable temperature.

Technologies by which the localized-thermostat service robot 69 (and/orthe larger smart-home system of FIG. 2) can identify and locate theoccupant whose personal-area space is to be kept at a comfortabletemperature can include, but are not limited to, RFID sensing (e.g.,person having an RFID bracelet, RFID necklace, or RFID key fob),synthetic vision techniques (e.g., video cameras and face recognitionprocessors), audio techniques (e.g., voice, sound pattern, vibrationpattern recognition), ultrasound sensing/imaging techniques, andinfrared or near-field communication (NFC) techniques (e.g., personwearing an infrared or NFC-capable smartphone), along with rules-basedinference engines or artificial intelligence techniques that draw usefulconclusions from the sensed information (e.g., if there is only a singleoccupant present in the home, then that is the person whose immediatespace should be kept at a comfortable temperature, and the selection ofthe desired comfortable temperature should correspond to that occupant'sparticular stored profile).

When serving as a localized air monitor/purifier for an occupant, aparticular service robot 69 can be considered to be facilitating whatcan be called a “personal health-area network” for the occupant, withthe objective being to keep the air quality in the occupant's immediatespace at healthy levels. Alternatively or in conjunction therewith,other health-related functions can be provided, such as monitoring thetemperature or heart rate of the occupant (e.g., using finely remotesensors, near-field communication with on-person monitors, etc.). Whenserving as a localized hazard detector for an occupant, a particularservice robot 69 can be considered to be facilitating what can be calleda “personal safety-area network” for the occupant, with the objectivebeing to ensure there is no excessive carbon monoxide, smoke, fire,etc., in the immediate space of the occupant. Methods analogous to thosedescribed above for personal comfort-area networks in terms of occupantidentifying and tracking are likewise applicable for personalhealth-area network and personal safety-area network embodiments.

According to some embodiments, the above-referenced facilitation ofpersonal comfort-area networks, personal health-area networks, personalsafety-area networks, and/or other such human-facing functionalities ofthe service robots 69, are further enhanced by logical integration withother smart sensors in the home according to rules-based inferencingtechniques or artificial intelligence techniques for achieving betterperformance of those human-facing functionalities and/or for achievingthose goals in energy-conserving or other resource-conserving ways.Thus, for one embodiment relating to personal health-area networks, theair monitor/purifier service robot 69 can be configured to detectwhether a household pet is moving toward the currently settled locationof the occupant (e.g., using on-board sensors and/or by datacommunications with other smart-home sensors along with rules-basedinferencing/artificial intelligence techniques), and if so, the airpurifying rate is immediately increased in preparation for the arrivalof more airborne pet dander. For another embodiment relating to personalsafety-area networks, the hazard detector service robot 69 can beadvised by other smart-home sensors that the temperature and humiditylevels are rising in the kitchen, which is nearby to the occupant'scurrent dining room location, and responsive to this advisory the hazarddetector service robot 69 will temporarily raise a hazard detectionthreshold, such as a smoke detection threshold, under an inference thatany small increases in ambient smoke levels will most likely be due tocooking activity and not due to a genuinely hazardous condition.

The above-described “human-facing” and “away” functionalities can beprovided, without limitation, by multiple distinct service robots 69having respective dedicated ones of such functionalities, by a singleservice robot 69 having an integration of two or more different ones ofsuch functionalities, and/or any combinations thereof (including theability for a single service robot 69 to have both “away” and “humanfacing” functionalities) without departing from the scope of the presentteachings. Electrical power can be provided by virtue of rechargeablebatteries or other rechargeable methods, such as an out-of-the-waydocking station to which the service robots 69 will automatically dockand recharge its batteries (if needed) during periods of inactivity.Preferably, each service robot 69 includes wireless communicationcomponents that facilitate data communications with one or more of theother wirelessly communicating smart-home sensors of FIG. 2 and/or withone or more other service robots 69 (e.g., using Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Z-Wave,6LoWPAN, etc.), and one or more of the smart-home devices 10 can be incommunication with a remote server over the Internet. Alternatively orin conjunction therewith, each service robot 69 can be configured tocommunicate directly with a remote server by virtue of cellulartelephone communications, satellite communications, 3G/4G network datacommunications, or other direct communication method.

Provided according to some embodiments are systems and methods relatingto the integration of the service robot(s) 69 with home security sensorsand related functionalities of the smart home system. The embodimentsare particularly applicable and advantageous when applied for thoseservice robots 69 that perform “away” functionalities or that otherwiseare desirable to be active when the home is unoccupied (hereinafter“away-service robots”). Included in the embodiments are methods andsystems for ensuring that home security systems, intrusion detectionsystems, and/or occupancy-sensitive environmental control systems (forexample, occupancy-sensitive automated setback thermostats that enterinto a lower-energy-using condition when the home is unoccupied) are noterroneously triggered by the away-service robots.

Provided according to one embodiment is a home automation and securitysystem (e.g., as shown in FIG. 2) that is remotely monitored by amonitoring service by virtue of automated systems (e.g., cloud-basedservers or other central servers, hereinafter “central server”) that arein data communications with one or more network-connected elements ofthe home automation and security system. The away-service robots areconfigured to be in operative data communication with the centralserver, and are configured such that they remain in a non-away-servicestate (e.g., a dormant state at their docking station) unless permissionis granted from the central server (e.g., by virtue of an“away-service-OK” message from the central server) to commence theiraway-service activities. An away-state determination made by the system,which can be arrived at (i) exclusively by local on-premises smartdevice(s) based on occupancy sensor data, (ii) exclusively by thecentral server based on received occupancy sensor data and/or based onreceived proximity-related information such as GPS coordinates from usersmartphones or automobiles, or (iii) any combination of (i) and (ii) canthen trigger the granting of away-service permission to the away-servicerobots by the central server. During the course of the away-servicerobot activity, during which the away-service robots may continuouslydetect and send their in-home location coordinates to the centralserver, the central server can readily filter signals from the occupancysensing devices to distinguish between the away-service robot activityversus any unexpected intrusion activity, thereby avoiding a falseintrusion alarm condition while also ensuring that the home is secure.Alternatively or in conjunction therewith, the central server mayprovide filtering data (such as an expected occupancy-sensing profiletriggered by the away-service robots) to the occupancy sensing nodes orassociated processing nodes of the smart home, such that the filteringis performed at the local level. Although somewhat less secure, it wouldalso be within the scope of the present teachings for the central serverto temporarily disable the occupancy sensing equipment for the durationof the away-service robot activity.

According to another embodiment, functionality similar to that of thecentral server in the above example can be performed by an on-sitecomputing device such as a dedicated server computer, a “master” homeautomation console or panel, or as an adjunct function of one or more ofthe smart-home devices of FIG. 2. In such an embodiment, there would beno dependency on a remote service provider to provide the“away-service-OK” permission to the away-service robots and thefalse-alarm-avoidance filtering service or filter information for thesensed intrusion detection signals.

According to other embodiments, there are provided methods and systemsfor implementing away-service robot functionality while avoiding falsehome security alarms and false occupancy-sensitive environmentalcontrols without the requirement of a single overall event orchestrator.For purposes of the simplicity in the present disclosure, the homesecurity systems and/or occupancy-sensitive environmental controls thatwould be triggered by the motion, noise, vibrations, or otherdisturbances of the away-service robot activity are referenced simply as“activity sensing systems,” and when so triggered will yield a“disturbance-detected” outcome representative of the false trigger (forexample, an alarm message to a security service, or an “arrival”determination for an automated setback thermostat that causes the hometo be heated or cooled to a more comfortable “occupied” setpointtemperature). According to one embodiment, the away-service robots areconfigured to emit a standard ultrasonic sound throughout the course oftheir away-service activity, the activity sensing systems are configuredto detect that standard ultrasonic sound, and the activity sensingsystems are further configured such that no disturbance-detected outcomewill occur for as long as that standard ultrasonic sound is detected.For other embodiments, the away-service robots are configured to emit astandard notification signal throughout the course of their away-serviceactivity, the activity sensing systems are configured to detect thatstandard notification signal, and the activity sensing systems arefurther configured such that no disturbance-detected outcome will occurfor as long as that standard notification signal is detected, whereinthe standard notification signal comprises one or more of: an opticalnotifying signal; an audible notifying signal; an infrared notifyingsignal; an infrasonic notifying signal; a wirelessly transmitted datanotification signal (e.g., an IP broadcast, multicast, or unicastnotification signal, or a notification message sent in an TCP/IP two-waycommunication session).

According to some embodiments, the notification signals sent by theaway-service robots to the activity sensing systems are authenticatedand encrypted such that the notifications cannot be learned andreplicated by a potential burglar. Any of a variety of knownencryption/authentication schemes can be used to ensure such datasecurity including, but not limited to, methods involving third partydata security services or certificate authorities. For some embodiments,a permission request-response model can be used, wherein any particularaway-service robot requests permission from each activity sensing systemin the home when it is ready to perform its away-service tasks, and doesnot initiate such activity until receiving a “yes” or “permissiongranted” message from each activity sensing system (or from a singleactivity sensing system serving as a “spokesman” for all of the activitysensing systems). One advantage of the described embodiments that do notrequire a central event orchestrator is that there can (optionally) bemore of an arms-length relationship between the supplier(s) of the homesecurity/environmental control equipment, on the one hand, and thesupplier(s) of the away-service robot(s), on the other hand, as it isonly required that there is the described standard one-way notificationprotocol or the described standard two-way request/permission protocolto be agreed upon by the respective suppliers.

According to still other embodiments, the activity sensing systems areconfigured to detect sounds, vibrations, RF emissions, or otherdetectable environmental signals or “signatures” that are intrinsicallyassociated with the away-service activity of each away-service robot,and are further configured such that no disturbance-detected outcomewill occur for as long as that particular detectable signal orenvironmental “signature” is detected. By way of example, a particularkind of vacuum-cleaning away-service robot may emit a specific sound orRF signature. For one embodiment, the away-service environmentalsignatures for each of a plurality of known away-service robots arestored in the memory of the activity sensing systems based onempirically collected data, the environmental signatures being suppliedwith the activity sensing systems and periodically updated by a remoteupdate server. For another embodiment, the activity sensing systems canbe placed into a “training mode” for the particular home in which theyare installed, wherein they “listen” and “learn” the particularenvironmental signatures of the away-service robots for that home duringthat training session, and thereafter will suppress disturbance-detectedoutcomes for intervals in which those environmental signatures areheard.

For still another embodiment, which is particularly useful when theactivity sensing system is associated with occupancy-sensitiveenvironmental control equipment rather than a home security system, theactivity sensing system is configured to automatically learn theenvironmental signatures for the away-service robots by virtue ofautomatically performing correlations over time between detectedenvironmental signatures and detected occupancy activity. By way ofexample, for one embodiment an intelligent automatednonoccupancy-triggered setback thermostat such as the Nest LearningThermostat can be configured to constantly monitor for audible and RFactivity as well as to perform infrared-based occupancy detection. Inparticular view of the fact that the environmental signature of theaway-service robot will remain relatively constant from event to event,and in view of the fact that the away-service events will likely either(a) themselves be triggered by some sort of nonoccupancy condition asmeasured by the away-service robots themselves, or (b) occur at regulartimes of day, there will be patterns in the collected data by which theevents themselves will become apparent and for which the environmentalsignatures can be readily learned. Generally speaking, for thisautomatic-learning embodiment in which the environmental signatures ofthe away-service robots are automatically learned without requiring userinteraction, it is more preferable that a certain number of falsetriggers be tolerable over the course of the learning process.Accordingly, this automatic-learning embodiment is more preferable forapplication in occupancy-sensitive environmental control equipment (suchas an automated setback thermostat) rather than home security systemsfor the reason that a few false occupancy determinations may cause a fewinstances of unnecessary heating or cooling, but will not otherwise haveany serious consequences, whereas false home security alarms may havemore serious consequences.

According to embodiments, technologies including the sensors of thesmart devices located in the mesh network of the smart-home environmentin combination with rules-based inference engines or artificialintelligence provided at the central server or cloud-computing system 64are used to provide a personal “smart alarm clock” for individualoccupants of the home. For example, user-occupants can communicate withthe central server or cloud-computing system 64 via their mobile devices66 to access an interface for the smart alarm clock. There, occupantscan turn on their “smart alarm clock” and input a wake time for the nextday and/or for additional days. In some embodiments, the occupant mayhave the option of setting a specific wake time for each day of theweek, as well as the option of setting some or all of the inputted waketimes to “repeat”. Artificial intelligence will be used to consider theoccupant's response to these alarms when they go off and make inferencesabout the user's preferred sleep patterns over time.

According to embodiments, the smart device in the smart-home environment30 that happens to be closest to the occupant when the occupant fallsasleep will be the device that transmits messages regarding when theoccupant stopped moving, from which the central server orcloud-computing system 64 will make inferences about where and when theoccupant prefers to sleep. This closest smart device will as be thedevice that sounds the alarm to wake the occupant. In this manner, the“smart alarm clock” will follow the occupant throughout the house, bytracking the individual occupants based on their “unique signature”,which is determined based on data obtained from sensors located in thesmart devices. For example, the sensors include ultrasonic sensors,passive IR sensors, and the like. The unique signature is based on acombination of walking gate, patterns of movement, voice, height, size,etc. It should be appreciated that facial recognition may also be used.

According to an embodiment, the wake times associated with the “smartalarm clock” are used by the smart thermostat 46 to control the HVAC inan efficient manner so as to pre-heat or cool the house to theoccupant's desired “sleeping” and “awake” temperature settings. Thepreferred settings can be learned over time, such as by observing whichtemperature the occupant sets the thermostat to before going to sleepand which temperature the occupant sets the thermostat to upon wakingup.

According to an embodiment, a device is positioned proximate to theoccupant's bed, such as on an adjacent nightstand, and collects data asthe occupant sleeps using noise sensors, motion sensors (e.g.,ultrasonic, IR, and optical), etc. Data may be obtained by the othersmart devices in the room as well. Such data may include the occupant'sbreathing patterns, heart rate, movement, etc. Inferences are made basedon this data in combination with data that indicates when the occupantactually wakes up. For example, if—on a regular basis—the occupant'sheart rate, breathing, and moving all increase by 5% to 10%, twenty tothirty minutes before the occupant wakes up each morning, thenpredictions can be made regarding when the occupant is going to wake.Other devices in the home can use these predictions to provide othersmart-home objectives, such as adjusting the smart thermostat 46 so asto pre-heat or cool the home to the occupant's desired setting beforethe occupant wakes up. Further, these predictions can be used to set the“smart alarm clock” for the occupant, to turn on lights, etc.

According to embodiments, technologies including the sensors of thesmart devices located throughout the smart-home environment incombination with rules-based inference engines or artificialintelligence provided at the central server or cloud-computing system 64are used to detect or monitor the progress of Alzheimer's Disease. Forexample, the unique signatures of the occupants are used to track theindividual occupants' movement throughout the smart-home environment 30.This data can be aggregated and analyzed to identify patterns indicativeof Alzheimer's. Oftentimes, individuals with Alzheimer's havedistinctive patterns of migration in their homes. For example, a personwill walk to the kitchen and stand there for a while, then to the livingroom and stand there for a while, and then back to the kitchen. Thispattern will take about thirty minutes, and then the person will repeatthe pattern. According to embodiments, the remote servers or cloudcomputing architectures 64 analyze the person's migration data collectedby the mesh network of the smart-home environment to identify suchpatterns.

In addition, FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of an extensible devicesand services platform 80 that can be concentrated at a single server ordistributed among several different computing entities withoutlimitation with respect to the smart-home environment 30. The extensibledevices and services platform 80 may include a processing engine 86,which may include engines that receive data from devices of smart-homeenvironments (e.g., via the Internet or a hubbed network), to index thedata, to analyze the data and/or to generate statistics based on theanalysis or as part of the analysis. The analyzed data can be stored asderived home data 88.

Results of the analysis or statistics can thereafter be transmitted backto the device that provided home data used to derive the results, toother devices, to a server providing a web page to a user of the device,or to other non-device entities. For example, use statistics, usestatistics relative to use of other devices, use patterns, and/orstatistics summarizing sensor readings can be generated by theprocessing engine 86 and transmitted. The results or statistics can beprovided via the Internet 62. In this manner, the processing engine 86can be configured and programmed to derive a variety of usefulinformation from the home data 82. A single server can include one ormore engines.

The derived data can be highly beneficial at a variety of differentgranularities for a variety of useful purposes, ranging from explicitprogrammed control of the devices on a per-home, per-neighborhood, orper-region basis (for example, demand-response programs for electricalutilities), to the generation of inferential abstractions that canassist on a per-home basis (for example, an inference can be drawn thatthe homeowner has left for vacation and so security detection equipmentcan be put on heightened sensitivity), to the generation of statisticsand associated inferential abstractions that can be used for governmentor charitable purposes. For example, processing engine 86 can generatestatistics about device usage across a population of devices and sendthe statistics to device users, service providers or other entities(e.g., that have requested or may have provided monetary compensationfor the statistics).

According to some embodiments, the home data 82, the derived home data88, and/or another data can be used to create “automated neighborhoodsafety networks.” For example, in the event the central server orcloud-computing architecture 64 receives data indicating that aparticular home has been broken into, is experiencing a fire, or someother type of emergency event, an alarm is sent to other smart homes inthe “neighborhood.” In some instances, the central server orcloud-computing architecture 64 automatically identifies smart homeswithin a radius of the home experiencing the emergency and sends analarm to the identified homes. In such instances, the other homes in the“neighborhood” do not have to sign up for or register to be a part of asafety network, but instead are notified of an emergency based on theirproximity to the location of the emergency. This creates robust andevolving neighborhood security watch networks, such that if one person'shome is getting broken into, an alarm can be sent to nearby homes, suchas by audio announcements via the smart devices located in those homes.It should be appreciated that this can be an opt-in service and that, inaddition to or instead of the central server or cloud-computingarchitecture 64 selecting which homes to send alerts to, individuals cansubscribe to participate in such networks and individuals can specifywhich homes they want to receive alerts from. This can include, forexample, the homes of family members who live in different cities, suchthat individuals can receive alerts when their loved ones in otherlocations are experiencing an emergency.

According to some embodiments, sound, vibration, and/or motion sensingcomponents of the smart devices are used to detect sound, vibration,and/or motion created by running water. Based on the detected sound,vibration, and/or motion, the central server or cloud-computingarchitecture 64 makes inferences about water usage in the home andprovides related services. For example, the central server orcloud-computing architecture 64 can run programs/algorithms thatrecognize what water sounds like and when it is running in the home.According to one embodiment, to map the various water sources of thehome, upon detecting running water, the central server orcloud-computing architecture 64 sends a message an occupant's mobiledevice asking if water is currently running or if water has beenrecently run in the home and, if so, which room and whichwater-consumption appliance (e.g., sink, shower, toilet, etc.) was thesource of the water. This enables the central server or cloud-computingarchitecture 64 to determine the “signature” or “fingerprint” of eachwater source in the home. This is sometimes referred to herein as “audiofingerprinting water usage.”

In one illustrative example, the central server or cloud-computingarchitecture 64 creates a signature for the toilet in the masterbathroom, and whenever that toilet is flushed, the central server orcloud-computing architecture 64 will know that the water usage at thattime is associated with that toilet. Thus, the central server orcloud-computing architecture 64 can track the water usage of that toiletas well as each water-consumption application in the home. Thisinformation can be correlated to water bills or smart water meters so asto provide users with a breakdown of their water usage.

According to some embodiments, sound, vibration, and/or motion sensingcomponents of the smart devices are used to detect sound, vibration,and/or motion created by mice and other rodents as well as by termites,cockroaches, and other insects (collectively referred to as “pests”).Based on the detected sound, vibration, and/or motion, the centralserver or cloud-computing architecture 64 makes inferences aboutpest-detection in the home and provides related services. For example,the central server or cloud-computing architecture 64 can runprograms/algorithms that recognize what certain pests sound like, howthey move, and/or the vibration they create, individually and/orcollectively. According to one embodiment, the central server orcloud-computing architecture 64 can determine the “signatures” ofparticular types of pests.

For example, in the event the central server or cloud-computingarchitecture 64 detects sounds that may be associated with pests, itnotifies the occupants of such sounds and suggests hiring a pest controlcompany. If it is confirmed that pests are indeed present, the occupantsinput to the central server or cloud-computing architecture 64 confirmsthat its detection was correct, along with details regarding theidentified pests, such as name, type, description, location, quantity,etc. This enables the central server or cloud-computing architecture 64to “tune” itself for better detection and create “signatures” or“fingerprints” for specific types of pests. For example, the centralserver or cloud-computing architecture 64 can use the tuning as well asthe signatures and fingerprints to detect pests in other homes, such asnearby homes that may be experiencing problems with the same pests.Further, for example, in the event that two or more homes in a“neighborhood” are experiencing problems with the same or similar typesof pests, the central server or cloud-computing architecture 64 can makeinferences that nearby homes may also have such problems or may besusceptible to having such problems, and it can send warning messages tothose homes to help facilitate early detection and prevention.

In some embodiments, to encourage innovation and research and toincrease products and services available to users, the devices andservices platform 80 expose a range of application programminginterfaces (APIs) 90 to third parties, such as charities 94,governmental entities 96 (e.g., the Food and Drug Administration or theEnvironmental Protection Agency), academic institutions 98 (e.g.,university researchers), businesses 100 (e.g., providing devicewarranties or service to related equipment, targeting advertisementsbased on home data), utility companies 102, and other third parties. TheAPIs 90 are coupled to and permit third party systems to communicatewith the central server or the cloud-computing system 64, including theservices 84, the processing engine 86, the home data 82, and the derivedhome data 88. For example, the APIs 90 allow applications executed bythe third parties to initiate specific data processing tasks that areexecuted by the central server or the cloud-computing system 64, as wellas to receive dynamic updates to the home data 82 and the derived homedata 88.

For example, third parties can develop programs and/or applications,such as web or mobile apps that integrate with the central server or thecloud-computing system 64 to provide services and information to users.Such programs and application may be, for example, designed to helpusers reduce energy consumption, to preemptively service faultyequipment, to prepare for high service demands, to track past serviceperformance, etc., or to perform any of a variety of beneficialfunctions or tasks now known or hereinafter developed.

According to some embodiments, third party applications make inferencesfrom the home data 82 and the derived home data 88, such inferences mayinclude when are occupants home, when are they sleeping, when are theycooking, when are they in the den watching television, and when do theyshower. The answers to these questions may help third-parties benefitconsumers by providing them with interesting information, products andservices as well as with providing them with targeted advertisements.

In one example, a shipping company creates an application that makesinferences regarding when people are at home. The application uses theinferences to schedule deliveries for times when people will most likelybe at home. The application can also build delivery routes around thesescheduled times. This reduces the number of instances where the shippingcompany has to make multiple attempts to deliver packages, and itreduces the number of times consumers have to pick up their packagesfrom the shipping company.

To further illustrate, FIG. 4 describes an abstracted functional view110 of the extensible devices and services platform 80 of FIG. 3, withparticular reference to the processing engine 86 as well as devices,such as those of the smart-home environment 30 of FIG. 2. Even thoughdevices situated in smart-home environments will have an endless varietyof different individual capabilities and limitations, they can all bethought of as sharing common characteristics in that each of them is adata consumer 112 (DC), a data source 114 (DS), a services consumer 116(SC), and a services source 118 (SS). Advantageously, in addition toproviding the essential control information needed for the devices toachieve their local and immediate objectives, the extensible devices andservices platform 80 can also be configured to harness the large amountof data that is flowing out of these devices. In addition to enhancingor optimizing the actual operation of the devices themselves withrespect to their immediate functions, the extensible devices andservices platform 80 can be directed to “repurposing” that data in avariety of automated, extensible, flexible, and/or scalable ways toachieve a variety of useful objectives. These objectives may bepredefined or adaptively identified based on, e.g., usage patterns,device efficiency, and/or user input (e.g., requesting specificfunctionality).

For example, FIG. 4 shows processing engine 86 as including a number ofparadigms 120. Processing engine 86 can include a managed servicesparadigm 120 a that monitors and manages primary or secondary devicefunctions. The device functions can include ensuring proper operation ofa device given user inputs, estimating that (e.g., and responding to aninstance in which) an intruder is or is attempting to be in a dwelling,detecting a failure of equipment coupled to the device (e.g., a lightbulb having burned out), implementing or otherwise responding to energydemand response events, or alerting a user of a current or predictedfuture event or characteristic. Processing engine 86 can further includean advertising/communication paradigm 120 b that estimatescharacteristics (e.g., demographic information), desires and/or productsof interest of a user based on device usage. Services, promotions,products or upgrades can then be offered or automatically provided tothe user. Processing engine 86 can further include a social paradigm 120c that uses information from a social network, provides information to asocial network (for example, based on device usage), and/or processesdata associated with user and/or device interactions with the socialnetwork platform. For example, a user's status as reported to theirtrusted contacts on the social network could be updated to indicate whenthey are home based on light detection, security system inactivation ordevice usage detectors. As another example, a user may be able to sharedevice-usage statistics with other users. In yet another example, a usermay share HVAC settings that result in low power bills and other usersmay download the HVAC settings to their smart thermostat 46 to reducetheir power bills.

The processing engine 86 can include achallenges/rules/compliance/rewards paradigm 120 d that informs a userof challenges, competitions, rules, compliance regulations and/orrewards and/or that uses operation data to determine whether a challengehas been met, a rule or regulation has been complied with and/or areward has been earned. The challenges, rules or regulations can relateto efforts to conserve energy, to live safely (e.g., reducing exposureto toxins or carcinogens), to conserve money and/or equipment life, toimprove health, etc. For example, one challenge may involve participantsturning down their thermostat by one degree for one week. Those thatsuccessfully complete the challenge are rewarded, such as by coupons,virtual currency, status, etc. Regarding compliance, an example involvesa rental-property owner making a rule that no renters are permitted toaccess certain owner's rooms. The devices in the room having occupancysensors could send updates to the owner when the room is accessed.

The processing engine 86 can integrate or otherwise utilize extrinsicinformation 122 from extrinsic sources to improve the functioning of oneor more processing paradigms. Extrinsic information 122 can be used tointerpret data received from a device, to determine a characteristic ofthe environment near the device (e.g., outside a structure that thedevice is enclosed in), to determine services or products available tothe user, to identify a social network or social-network information, todetermine contact information of entities (e.g., public-service entitiessuch as an emergency-response team, the police or a hospital) near thedevice, etc., to identify statistical or environmental conditions,trends or other information associated with a home or neighborhood, andso forth.

An extraordinary range and variety of benefits can be brought about by,and fit within the scope of, the described extensible devices andservices platform 80, ranging from the ordinary to the profound. Thus,in one “ordinary” example, each bedroom of the smart-home environment 30can be provided with a smart wall switch 54, a smart wall plug 56,and/or smart hazard detectors 50, all or some of which include anoccupancy sensor, wherein the occupancy sensor is also capable ofinferring (e.g., by virtue of motion detection, facial recognition,audible sound patterns, etc.) whether the occupant is asleep or awake.If a serious fire event is sensed, the remote security/monitoringservice or fire department is advised of how many occupants there are ineach bedroom, and whether those occupants are still asleep (or immobile)or whether they have properly evacuated the bedroom. While this is, ofcourse, a very advantageous capability accommodated by the describedextensible devices and services platform 80, there can be substantiallymore “profound” examples that can truly illustrate the potential of alarger “intelligence” that can be made available. By way of perhaps amore “profound” example, the same bedroom occupancy data that is beingused for fire safety can also be “repurposed” by the processing engine86 in the context of a social paradigm of neighborhood child developmentand education. Thus, for example, the same bedroom occupancy and motiondata discussed in the “ordinary” example can be collected and madeavailable (properly anonymized) for processing in which the sleeppatterns of schoolchildren in a particular ZIP code can be identifiedand tracked. Localized variations in the sleeping patterns of theschoolchildren may be identified and correlated, for example, todifferent nutrition programs in local schools.

As previously discussed, the described extensible devices and servicesplatform 80 may enable communicating emergency information betweensmart-home environments 30 that are linked and/or to the properauthorities. For example, when a burglar breaks into a smart-homeenvironment 30, a home security system may trip and sound an alarmand/or send emergency notifications to the neighbors, the police, thesecurity company, and the like. However, in instances where the break inis preceded by a jamming attack on the wireless network, thenotifications may not be sent out if their transmission is dependentupon the wireless network. Thus, another means to communicate withexternal parties may be desired. As such, the techniques disclosedherein solve this problem by detecting the jamming attack and sendingemergency notifications via side channels that are not dependent uponthe wireless network.

API

Although programs, applications, and/or application services may be usedto communicate requests or commands to the smart home devices 10, insome embodiments these may not be sent directly to the smart homedevices 10. The following figures illustrate smart device communicationand/or control via an application accessing an API.

For example, FIG. 5 illustrates a system 140 where an API may be used toaccess and/or control one or more smart devices. In the illustratedexample, a person may desire to access a number of smart home devices10, such as a first smart home device (e.g. thermostat 10A) and secondsmart home devices (e.g., hazard detector 10B (e.g., a smoke or carbondioxide detector)). In the example of FIG. 5, the first smart homedevice 10A is an example of a smart thermostat, such as the Nest®Learning Thermostat by Nest Labs, Inc. (a company of Google Inc.), andthe second smart home devices 10B are examples of smart hazarddetectors, such as the Nest® Protect by Nest Labs, Inc. Two applicationprograms are shown accessing the smart home devices 10A and/or 10Bthrough the device service 84. Although FIG. 5 illustrates accessing thesmart home devices 10A and/or 10B using two separate applicationprograms, it should be appreciated that any suitable number ofapplication programs may be used to access the smart home devices 10Aand/or 10B.

In the example of FIG. 5, a first application 142 sends a first devicerequest message 144 targeted to a smart home device 10 (e.g., the smarthome device 10A) into cloud service(s) 145 and, more specifically, to afirst application service 146. A second application 148 may be used toissue a second device request message 150 targeted to a smart homedevice 10 (e.g., the smart home device 10A) to a second applicationservice 152 also among the cloud service(s) 145. In the example shown,the first application 142 is a navigation application that sendsestimated-time-of-arrival (ETA) information in the device requestmessages 144. By sending a number of ETA messages as the device requestmessages 144, the first application 142 may be used to cause the smarthome devices 10A and/or 10B to be prepared when a person arrives home.Thus, as an example, the first application 142 may send occasionaldevice request messages 144 indicating the ETA to the first applicationservice 146, which may forward this information to the device service 84(e.g., via an API 90 of the cloud services 145, as discussed above). Thedevice service 84 may hold the device request messages 144 from thefirst application 142 until an appropriate time. In the illustratedexample, the second application 148 may be a third party home-automationapplication that may be running on a portable electronic device, such asa personal mobile device. The second application 148 may generate devicerequest messages 150, such as commands to control or request informationfrom the smart home devices 10A and/or 10B. In some embodiments, thesecond application service 152 may interface with the device service 84by way of an API 90, as mentioned above.

Although the first application service 146, the second applicationservice 152, and the device service 84 are illustrated in FIG. 5 ascloud service(s) 145, it may appreciated that some or all of theseservices may run on electronic devices that are not remotecloud-computer systems accessible by way of the Internet. Indeed, insome examples, the device service 84 may not be on a network that isremote from the smart home devices 10A and/or 10B, but rather may berunning on an electronic device in the same local area network as thesmart home devices 10A and/or 10B. For example, the device service 84may, additionally or alternatively, run on a local server computerand/or a local wireless router on the same local area network as thesmart home devices 10A and/or 10B. Moreover, some applications maycommunicate directly with the device service 84 (e.g., via the API)without first communicating with an application service such as thefirst application service 146 or the second application service 152.

Regardless of the number of applications that may issue device requestmessages (e.g., 144 or 150) to the device service 84, the device service84 may not merely forward these messages to the smart home devices 10Aand/or 10B that the device request messages are targeted too. Rather,the device service 84 may serve as the point of contact that applicationprograms may use to access the smart home devices 10A and/or 10B. Thedevice service 84 then may communicate information and/or commandsprovided by the applications to the smart home devices 10A and/or 10B,enabling coordination between the applications and the devices 10Aand/or 10B.

In some embodiments, to enable additional functionalities in theapplications (e.g., first application 142 and/or second application148), the smart home devices 10A and/or 10B may occasionally transmitdevice operation status parameters 156 or other data based on the deviceoperation status parameters 156 through the device service 84 and theproper application service (e.g., first application service 146 and/orsecond application service 152) to the proper applications (e.g., firstapplication 142 and/or second application 148).

The device operation status parameters 156 may represent any suitablecharacteristics of the operation status of the smart home devices 10Aand/or 10B that may affect the proper functioning of the smart homedevices 10A and/or 10B. Thus, the device operation status parameters 156may include, for example: a battery level 159 indicative of an amount ofcharge remaining in a battery of the smart home device; a charging rate160 indicative of a current rate that the battery of the smart homedevice is charging; a current device age 161 indicative of a period ofuse since initial install, a period of use since manufacture, a periodof use since original sale, etc.; a planned lifespan 162 indicative ofan expected useful operational duration of the smart home device; anamount of recent wireless use 163 (selected within a timespan recentenough to substantially affect an internal temperature of the smart homedevice 10); a direct measurement of an internal device temperature 164;and/or device operation status parameters for connected devices 165. Theoperational status parameters for connected devices 165 may representany suitable operational parameters that may describe the smart homedevices 10 (e.g., smart home device 10A) through which the deviceservice 84 may use to connect to a target smart home device 10 (e.g.,one of the smart home devices 10B). For example, regarding theoperational status parameters for connected devices 165, if the targetsmart home device 10 is the last smart home device 10B through threesmart home devices 10 in three communication “hops”, the deviceoperation status parameters 156 associated with these three interveningsmart home devices 10 may be included.

The various specific device operation status parameters 156 shown inFIG. 5 are provided by way of example. As such, the device operationstatus parameters 156 shown in FIG. 5 should not be understood to beexhaustive, but merely representative of possible operational parametersthat may be considered for API-accessing applications. For example,additional device operation status parameters may include current stateof the device (e.g., sleeping, awake, Wi-Fi active/inactive, executing ademand-response algorithm, executing a time-to-temperature algorithm,etc.).

The smart thermostat 10A and/or detector 10B may include a basic set ofidentifying information, such as: a user-defined device name, physicallocation in the structure, locale, software version and containingstructure. The data model also exposes thermostat capabilities, such aswhether the HVAC system can heat or cool, or has a fan. Further, thethermostat 10A may include three states related to presence: home, awayor auto-away. In some embodiments, the API 90 may not expose thethermostat state, but may depend on this state when using thermostatmode to set target temperature. Thermostat 10A mode may have three “on”states (heat, cool, heat-cool) and one “off” state. The most common maybe “on” (home). In this mode the thermostat 10A will try to keep thestructure at a target temperature. A thermostat 10A can also be in awaymode, which is entered when no motion is sensed in the house or when theuser explicitly sets the structure to away. In this mode, it willactivate the HVAC system if the temperature moves outside the defined“away” temperature range. The thermostat 10A may also be set to “off”.In this mode it will only activate the HVAC system if the temperaturemoves outside a defined safety temperature range.

In some embodiments, target temperature, the desired temperature,typically set by the user may be modified using the API 90. From the API90, applications can write the target temperature as part of a largerprocess.

For example, the applications may use the device operation statusparameters 156 or data to affect subsequent interactions (e.g., viamessages 144 or 150) that are transmitted to the smart home devices 10Aand/or 10B. The device operation status parameters 156 may correspondonly to a target smart home device 10 (e.g., the smart home device 10A),or may correspond to other smart home devices 10 that are in thevicinity of the target smart home device 10 (e.g., the smart home device10A and the smart home devices 10B). In one example, when the targetsmart home device 10 for the device request messages 144 and/or 150 arethe smart home device 10A, the device operation status parameters 156may correspond substantially only to the smart home device 10A. Inanother example, when the target smart home device 10 is one of thesmart home devices 10B, which is accessible by way of the smart homedevice 10A, the device operation status parameters 156 may containoperational parameter information about both the smart home device 10Aand the smart home device 10B.

The second application 148 may include voice actions. For example, auser input to the second application 148 may be an audible cue to “Set[brand (e.g.‘nest’)|thermostat|temperature] to [nn] degrees.” The secondapplication 148 may convert this into messages that ultimately becomecommands to transition the desired temperature of the thermostat 10A.

Further, an audible queue might be to “Turn on the heat.” In such ascenario, the commands provided to the thermostat 10A would set thethermostat one degree Celsius above the current ambient temperature. Ifthe thermostat 10A is in range mode, both the low and high points areraised one degree Celsius.

Additionally, an audible queue might be to “Turn on the [airconditioning|cooling|a.c.].” In such a scenario, the commands providedto the thermostat 10A would set the thermostat one degree Celsius lowerthe current ambient temperature. If the thermostat 10A is in range mode,both the low and high points are lowered one degree Celsius.

In some embodiments, an audible queue might be to “set [brand(e.g.‘nest’)|thermostat] to away.” In such a scenario, the commandsprovided to the thermostat 10A would change the mode of the thermostat10A to “AWAY.” When the audible queue is “set [brand(e.g.‘nest’)|thermostat] to home,” the commands provided to thethermostat 10A would change the mode of the thermostat 10A to “HOME.”

i. Architecture

FIG. 6 illustrates a system 180 that uses an API 90 to access one ormore device services 84 to request data from, control, and/or store datathat may be useful to the smart devices (e.g., thermostat 10A, smokeand/or CO detector 10B, and/or other device 10C). As discussed above,the system 180 may be useful to enable one or more clients 182 (e.g.,third-party client, electronic device, and/or a principle client of thedevice service 84) to: provide data 184 for use in the device services84 (e.g., to a data store (e.g., data warehouse 185), to storage of oneor more of the smart devices, and/or to a data model of the deviceservice 84), provide a request 186 to control one or more of the smartdevices via the device service 84, and/or to receive data 188 from oneor more of the smart devices via the device service 84 (e.g., viaproviding a subscription and/or particular data query request 190), uponauthorization from an authorization server (e.g., an additional serviceprovided by services 191). As used herein, the term “client,”“application programming interface (API) client,” and “clientapplication” may be used interchangeably and may refer to an integrationpoint for the API 90 and/or device service 84. Further, it should benoted, as used herein, the terms “client device,” “third party device,”and “API client device” may be used interchangeably and refer to anelectronic device interfacing with the integration point (e.g., clientor API client).

In embodiments where a smart thermostat 10A is present, the API 90and/or device services 84 may be used to: view a current temperature,view and/or set a target temperature, set a fan timer, view and/or settemperature modes (e.g., “heating” and/or “cooling”), view humiditydata, and/or view online status and/or last connection information. Inembodiments where a smoke and/or CO detector 10B is present, the API 90and/or device services 84 may be used to view CO and/or smoke status,view battery health of the detector 10B, view last manual test statusand/or a timestamp for the last manual test, and/or view online statusand/or last connection information. Further, in embodiments where astructure 10D (e.g., a smart home environment containing smart devices)is associated with the device service 84, the API 90 and/or deviceservices 84 may be used to: view a list of devices in the structure 10D,view energy event status (e.g., whether the structure 10D is under apreferable energy utilization period as defined by an energy utilityprogram (e.g., Rush Hour Rewards by Nest®)), view and/or set an awaystate of the structure 10D, view a postal or zip code of the structure10D, and/or set an estimated time of arrival to the structure 10. Manyother data points may be accessed and/or written to the devices via theAPI 90 and/or device services 84.

To perform these functions, the client 182 may connect to the API 90. Inone embodiment, the API 90 may include one or more hosts 192 that mayreceive and/or process the data 184 and/or the requests 186 and/or 190in near real-time and/or real-time. The hosts 192 may include a Firebasehost and/or one or more Representation State Transfer (REST) hosts 196(e.g. periodic REST and/or REST streaming transactions).

Firebase organizes data as one large JSON document. Using this scheme,the device service 84 can listen for updates (e.g., insertions,deletions, modifications) on the trees of data that the client 182 hasaccess to and/or is subscribed to, in order to synchronize these updatesbetween the clients 182 and/or the devices (e.g., 10A-10C) and/orstructures 10D.

Each data element is addressable by a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).Each data element location can store strings, numbers, Boolean valuesand/or parent/child objects or arrays. Using the API 90, a user's clientcan sync data from locations at multiple levels in the hierarchy. Forexample, an entire structure, including all devices, a single device ina structure, a group of data values (e.g., current and ambienttemperatures), and/or a single data value (e.g., battery health state).As mentioned above, these data locations may be accessed by creating aclient 182 application, using the client libraries 198 and/or usingstreaming and/or traditional REST communications.

A variety of access controls mechanisms are possible. As will bediscussed in more detail below, in some embodiments, a custom loginfeature may be used to enable the device service 84 provider to utilizecustomized authentication payloads to authorize access to the APIs 90and/or device services 84.

To provide data 184 and/or requests 186 and/or 190 to the host 192 in amanner that the API 90 may understand, an application of the client 182may be constructed to provide this data 184 and/or requests 186 and/or190. Upon authentication of access rights (which will be discussed inmore detail below), the application may utilize REST and/or clientlibraries (e.g., Firebase client libraries 198) to subscribe to datavalues via the API 90. When a subscribed data value changes, the newdata values are updated in real time and stored as a standard JSONdocument. The client 182 may then update and/or trigger an action basedupon the subscribed data. Further, when the client 182 wishes to writedata to the shared JSON document, the client 182 may provide the requestvia REST and/or Firebase. Accordingly, as mentioned above, the client182 may generate and provide the data 184 and/or requests 186 and/or 190as well as receive data 188.

The requests 186 and/or 190 and/or the data 184 are passed from the API90 to the device service 84. The device service 84 maintains a datamodel of all relevant structures 10D as well as the relevant smartdevices (e.g., thermostats 10A, detectors 10B, and/or devices 10C)associated with each of the structures 10D. The data model is generatedand updated in a subscription-based approach. For example, as newstructures 10D and/or smart devices (e.g., thermostats 10A, detectors10B, and/or devices 10C) are activated, a subscription may be registeredbetween the smart devices (e.g. 10A-10C) and/or the structure 10D andthe device service 84. Rather than require continual polling for newand/or updated data, which may result in excessive heating and/orbattery consumption of the smart devices, the subscription enables newand/or updated data provided to the device service 84 (e.g., via the API90) to be provided in near-real time, upon changes to the data modelmaintained by the device service 84.

FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of a process 248 for providing datarequests via the subscription-based device service 84. First, a sessionbetween the data service 84 and one or more subscribing devices (e.g.devices 10A-10C) and/or structures 10D is created (block 250). Thesession may be established for a predetermined period (e.g., 1 hour, 1day, 1 week, etc.) and may be closed at any time by either thesubscribing device and/or the device service 84.

Next, when an interaction with the system 180 occurs, a data request isreceived by the device service 84 (block 252). In one embodiment, thedata request may include a request to retrieve particular smart deviceinformation and/or a request to set particular smart device information.The request may be provided, in some embodiments, via the API 90, basedupon communications from a client 182.

Upon receiving the request, the device service may process the request(block 254). For example, the device service 84 may update itsmaintained data model based upon the request. In some embodiments, theJavaScript Object Notation (JSON) data format may be used to maintainthe device service 84's data model. One or more translation modules maytranslate non-JSON formatted data (e.g., tag-length-field (TLV)formatted data) into the JSON data format. Further details and examplesof subscription services and translation into a JSON data format andprocessing received data are described in U.S. Ser. No. 61/627,996,filed Oct. 21, 2011, entitled “User friendly, network connected learningthermostat and related systems and methods” and in U.S. Ser. No.14/508,884, filed Oct. 7, 2014, entitled “Systems and Methods forUpdating Data Across Multiple Network Architectures,” which are bothincorporated by reference herein in their entirety for all purposes.

Next, the device service 84 may wake any subscribers of the request(e.g., smart devices 10A-10C and/or structures 10D associated with therequest) (block 256). In one embodiment, the devices (e.g., thermostats10A, detectors 10B, and/or devices 10C) and/or structures 10D may beequipped with wake-on-LAN (WOL) functionality that enables a device tosleep until particular data packets are received at the WOL equippeddevice. Upon receiving these particular packets, the devices may wake,and receive data that is provided based upon the received request (block258). In some embodiments, packet filtering may be implemented on thedevices, such that only particular data packets will wake the devices,helping to ensure that the devices are only awoken when relevant data isreceived at the device 10A-10C and/or the structure 10D. Further,buffering may be used to ensure that erroneous data is not used to wakethe devices and/or structure. For example, if the client 182 sends arequest to write a new target temperature to a thermostat 10A that isone degree above the current target temperature, but then immediatelysends another request that cancels the prior request (e.g., reduces thetarget temperature down one degree), the requests may be cancelled outwithout waking the thermostat 10A (assuming both requests are receivedby the device service 84 in a buffer window prior to the thermostat 10Awake). In some embodiments, the buffer window may be 2-3 seconds.

As mentioned above, data 188 may also be provided to the client 182 fromthe smart devices (e.g., thermostat 10A, detector 10B, and/or device10C) and/or structures 10D. For example, the client 182 may displayand/or trigger actions based upon received data from the smart devicesand/or structures 10D. FIG. 8 illustrates a process 280 for providingdata from smart devices and/or structures to a client 182. As with theprocess 248 of FIG. 7, an http session is established between the deviceservice 84 and smart devices (e.g., thermostats 10A, detectors 10B,and/or devices 10C) and/or structures 10D (block 280). Upon detecting achange of relevant data in the smart devices and/or structures 10D(decision block 284), the changed data is provided to the device service84 (block 286). The device service 84 then updates the data model andprovides the updates to the client 182 (block 288). The client 182 isthen able to display the updated data and/or trigger other actions basedupon the updated data.

In one example, a client may be created to interact with a thermostat10A (e.g., using the client libraries 198). The client may be set up tomonitor two values: current temperature and target temperature. Toobtain changes to these two values, the client establishes asubscription to the thermostat object in a structure 10D. Then, when thetemperature of the thermostat 10A is adjusted, the target temperaturechanges and the device service 84 updates the data model (e.g., JSONdevice and/or structure representation), which may be synchronized withthe client 182 in near-real time. The client 182 may listen for changesand display a new target temperature and/or update the currenttemperature as it changes at the thermostat 10A.

ii. Authorization and Permissions

The API 90 and device service 84 may provide information to clients thatmay be used to build a better home experience. However, that informationis ultimately owned by the user of the smart devices (e.g., thermostats10A, detectors 10B, and/or devices 10C) and can only be shared withclients when the user explicitly allows it. Certain permissions mayenable a client to access resources in a shared data model. As such, anauthorization process may be used to enable the user to grantpermissions to clients requesting to view and/or modify data associatedwith the user's smart devices (e.g., thermostats 10A, detectors 10B,and/or devices 10C) in the data model using the authorization server191. The authorization process may use an open protocol framework (e.g.,OAuth 2.0) to allow secure authorization of third party applications toobtain limited access to an HTTP service.

The authorization server 191 may provide functionality for managing theauthorization code and access token granting processes, which will bedescribed in more detail below. There may be an authorization processfor web-based and PIN-based authorization. If a redirect universalresource identifier (URI) was entered when the client was registered,then a web-based authorization code may be in the redirected URI as acode query parameter. If a redirect URI was not entered when the clientwas registered, then a PIN-based authorization code may be displayed ina web page. PIN based authorization is generally used for devices withno web user interface, and that have an alphanumeric keypad interface.

The permissions may vary based on who the client is, the type of databeing requested, the type of access being requested, and so forth.Indeed, in some embodiments, there may be various scopes, or groups ofpredefined permissions to certain data elements, that are assigned tothe clients. Access to resources may be tied to a session (an issuedaccess token). The end user may be asked to approve granting a series ofscopes as part of the session initiation process. If the user approvesthe scopes, the permissions associated with the scopes at the time ofissue are tied to the session for the lifetime of the session, asdiscussed in detail below. Also, in some embodiments, the disclosedtechniques provide functionality to enable the client to insert theirown data into the data model using the device service 84 (e.g., via theAPI 90), retrieve their own data from data model using the deviceservice 84 (e.g., via the API 90), or to allow the client to authorizeanother third party to modify or view the client's data in the datamodel using the device service 84 (e.g., via the API 90).

FIG. 9 illustrates a flow diagram of a process 300 for a user toauthorize a client to access user data in the data model via the deviceservice 84, in accordance with an embodiment. To interact with theuser's smart devices (e.g., thermostats 10A, detectors 10B, and/ordevices 10C) by manipulating data or viewing data in the data model, theuser must first agree to let the client access user device data. Theauthorization process may begin with a link 301 to connect to the deviceservice 84 on a client site/app 302 that the user may select. Inresponse, a resource access permission page 304 and a login page 306 maybe displayed that asks the user to grant access to the client and/orsign in if not already signed into an authorization server.

The resource access permission page 304, which is described in detailbelow, may display the permission and one or more justifications for thepermission entered when the client was registered in the data model. Ifthe user accepts the permission requested for the client, anauthorization code may be returned from the authorization server to theuser, which passes the authorization code to the client, and the clientexchanges the authorization code and a client secret for an accesstoken. The client may then make API calls to the device service 84including the access token to retrieve and/or input data into the datamodel. For example, the client may request to see the currenttemperature and/or the target temperature using an API call and theaccess token which provides thermostat read permissions. As a result,the current temperature and/or the target temperature may be returned bythe device service 84 and displayed on the client site/app 308. Asshould be appreciated, any data for which the client is grantedpermissions may be accessed in the data model 307 and used as desired onthe client site/app 308. The user may revoke access at any time, whichwill inhibit the client from making any further requests for the user'ssmart devices' (e.g., thermostats 10A, detectors 10B, and/or devices10C) data.

FIG. 10 illustrates the resource access permission page 304 of FIG. 9,in accordance with an embodiment. As discussed above, this page 304 asksthe user to grant access to the client. In particular, the resourceaccess permission page 304 displays the permissions and justificationsfor the permissions when the client was registered in the data model.The justification explains what the client will do with the requesteddata and how it will benefit the user. Justifications should include theclient name, the action(s) the client can take, and the triggeringevent. For example, a sample template to write justifications includethe following:

-   -   “Allows [client name] to [take action] [because/when . . . ]”

In some embodiments, the justifications may have a minimum word length(any suitable number, such as 5, 10, 15, 20, etc.), and contain lessthan or equal to a maximum number of characters (any suitable number,such as 140, 150, 160, etc.). The user may see the justification in theresource access permission page 304 and in a permissions view within asmart device (e.g., thermostats 10A, detectors 10B, and/or devices 10C)site/app.

For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the resource accesspermission page 304 indicates that Company A would like to see dataabout the detector 10B related to smoke, carbon monoxide, and batteryinfo, and by doing so will allow certain lights to turn red during anemergency (310). Additionally, the page 304 indicates that Company Awould like to see when the user's home is set to away, which allowscertain lights to turn off when the house is set to away (312). The page304 also notifies the user that the integration may be disconnected atany time to terminate the client from using the data.

FIG. 11 illustrates a block diagram of a system 314 for authorizingclients to interact with a user's smart device (e.g., thermostats 10A,detectors 10B, and/or devices 10C) data and/or operation via the web(e.g., server to server resource requests), in accordance with anembodiment. FIG. 12 illustrates a sequence diagram 320 for authorizingclients to use a user's smart device data using the system 314 of FIG.11 via the web. As illustrated, the sequence diagram 320 depicts twelveevents occurring in a sequential order. For clarity, both FIGS. 11 and12 will be described together.

The system 314 may include a smart device user 316, a third party client318, an authorization server 191, and the device service 84 and/or API90. It should be noted that, in some embodiments, the device service 84and/or the API 90 may receive the requests for resources from the client318 and validate the access token provided by the client 318. It shouldalso be noted that, in some embodiments, the authorization server 191may provide functionality including querying client information and alist of scopes that the user granted to the client. As described indetail below, the scopes may group together one or more permissions fora specific functionality (e.g., viewing thermostat data, setting HVAC,etc.). The authorization server 191 may also authenticate the user 316and fetch the user ID, validate the user's consent to grant the client'srequested scopes, handle redirects, and receive requests for theauthorization code and the access token. In some embodiments, theauthorization server 191 may handle the requests via HTTP REST GET callswith query parameter format.

Additionally, the authorization server 191 may include one or moreservers that provide varying functionalities. For example, anauthorization server that is not exposed to the public may providefunctionality for managing the authorization codes, access tokens,client secret, scopes, and permissions, whereas a publicly exposedauthorization server may provide functionality for higher levelfunctions of the authorization code and access token granting process,such as querying client information and list of scopes requested for aclient, authenticate user and fetch user ID, validate user's consent togrant client's requested scopes, handle redirects, and receive requeststo provide access tokens for authorization codes.

The user 316, which may be a customer/owner of resources requested, maybe using a web browser in the illustrated embodiment. Event 1 322 of thesequence diagram 320 includes the user 316 sending a request to theclient 318 webpage/app that incorporates data from the data model. Inresponse, event 2 324 shows a page being returned to the user with awebpage containing a link to the authorization page. The link to theauthorization page may include the following information: response type(“code”), client ID (ID is provided to the client 318 when registered),state (a value passed from the client 318 to authorization server 191and may be used to protect against cross-site request forgery attacks).Event 3 326 may include the user 316 clicking the authorization link,thereby sending a GET request to the authorization server 191. Theauthorization server 191 responds with the resource access permissionpage 304 and the interstitial login page 306 if the user 316 is notalready logged in, as depicted in event 4 328.

Then, as indicated by event 5 330, the user 316 submits a username,password, and resource permissions to the authorization server 191. Ifthe login is successful, the authorization server 191 responds with aredirect to redirect uniform resource identifier (URI) to the user 316,as indicated by event 6 332. The redirect URI may contain the followingparameters: code (an authorization code used to obtain an access token),a state (the same value passed to the authorization server 191 earlier,which the client 318 should validate has not changed upon receipt). Theauthorization code may be a short string of alphanumeric characters withdifferent length requirements based on whether the authorization isweb-based (e.g., 14, 16, 18 characters) or PIN (6, 8, 10 characters).Also, the authorization code may be subject to expiring if not usedwithin a certain period of time based on whether the authorization isweb-based (e.g., 5, 10, 15 minutes) or PIN (e.g., 24, 48, 72 hours).Further, the authorization server 191 may create an authorization entryin the authorization tree for the user and the client that is grantedpermission in the assigned scopes. In some embodiments, once thepermission is granted, data synchronization between the API 90 and thedata service 84 may begin.

In event 7 334, the user's web browser redirects to the client 318 withthe authorization code. Upon receiving the request from the user 316containing the authorization code, the client 318 may send a POSTrequest to the authorization server 191 containing the followingparameters in event 8 336: grant type (“authorization code”), code (theauthorization code returned by the authorization server 191), client ID(the ID issued when the client was registered), and a client secret (asecret issued to the client 318 when registered).

As indicated by event 9 338, the authorization server 191 responds withan access token. The response may be an object in the JavaScript ObjectNotation (JSON) data format: \{“access_token”:“some-random-string”,“expires_at”:“time-expires ISO8601 format”}. In some embodiments, theaccess token may not expire for an extended period of time (e.g., 10,15, 20 years). Also, the access tokens may be long unique strings.

Then, as indicated by event 10 340, the client 318 requests the neededresource from the device service 84 using the API 90. The API 90 requestmay include the following parameter added: access token (the accesstoken returned in the call to the authorization server 191). That is, insome embodiments, the API client or API client device may send one ormore requests including the access token to retrieve, access, view,subscribe, or modify data elements of a data model representative of oneor more smart environments. The access token may be associated with atleast the API client or API client device and one or more scopes grantedto the API client or API client device. As previously discussed, the oneor more scopes may provide one or more access rights to one or more ofthe data elements of the data model defined by a hierarchical positionof the data elements in the data model represented by a respective pathto the data elements. It should be noted that the sending of the requestincluding the access token may be implemented as computer instructionsstored one or more tangible non-transitory computer-readable medias andexecuted by the API client or the API client device.

Sending the one or more requests with the access token enablesdownstream services (e.g., device service 84) to the API client 318 orAPI client device to use the access token to identify the one or morescopes granted to the API client or API client device. The deviceservice 84 may process the request in accordance with the granted scopesto the associated access token and API client 318 or API client device.The device service 84 responds with the requested resource in event 11342 and the client 318 includes the resource into a page included in aresponse to the user 316, as indicated by event 12 344. It should beappreciated that the client 318 may continue to make requests from thedevice service 84 to access or modify data in the data model based onthe permissions that were granted for as long as the access token isvalid. In some embodiments, the device service 84 responds with a dataobject including data objects from the data model (e.g., a metadata dataobject, a devices data object, a structures data object) based on therequest and scopes associated with the access token. Further, in someembodiments the client 318 may perform a function in addition todisplaying the returned data in a page, such as controlling a setting onthe API client device based on the data, executing a control action onthe API client device based on the data, and the like.

FIG. 13 illustrates a block diagram of a system 350 for authorizingclients to use a user's smart device (e.g., thermostats 10A, detectors10B, and/or devices 10C) data via a PIN when the devices do not have aweb UI, in accordance with an embodiment. FIG. 14 illustrates a sequencediagram 360 for authorizing clients to use a user's smart device datausing the system 350 of FIG. 13 via the PIN. For clarity, both FIGS. 13and 14 will be described at the same time.

The system 350 may include a smart device client application 352, thesmart device user 316, the authorization server 191, and the deviceservice 84 and/or API 90. It should be noted that, in some embodiments,the device service 84 and/or the API 90 may receive the requests forresources from the client application 352 and validate the access tokenprovided by the client application 352. Additionally, the authorizationserver 191 may include one or more servers that provide varyingfunctionalities. For example, an authorization server that is notexposed to the public may provide functionality for managing theauthorization codes, access tokens, client secret, scopes, andpermissions, whereas a publicly exposed authorization server may providefunctionality for higher level functions of the authorization code andaccess token granting process, such as querying client information andlist of scopes requested for a client, authenticate user and fetch userID, validate user's consent to grant client's requested scopes, handleredirects, and receive requests to provide access tokens forauthorizations codes.

The sequence of events may begin with the user 316 installing the clientapplication 352 that requires access to resources in the data model, asindicated by event 1 362 in the sequence diagram 360. In event 2 364,the client application 352 instructs the user to use a link to theauthorization server 191 including the client's name. The user 316 mayuse a web browser to enter the link and request the page to theauthorization server 191 including the client's name (event 3 366). Theauthorization server 191 responds with the resource access permissionpage 304 and the interstitial login page 306 if the user 316 is notalready logged in, as depicted in event 4 368. The user 316 then submitsapproval or denial of the resource access permissions for the clientand/or enters a username and password if login is required to theauthorization server 191 (event 5 370). In event 6 372, theauthorization server 191 responds with a result page that contains auser readable authorization code (personal identification number (PIN)).

The user may copy the PIN from the web browser and manually enter thePIN into the client application 352 (event 7 374). After the user entersthe PIN, the client application 352 submits the PIN and a client secret(provided when the client was registered) to the authorization server191, as depicted in event 8 376. Upon receipt of the PIN, theauthorization server 191 responds to the client application 352 with anaccess token (event 9 378). The client application 352 can now makeresource requests from the data model via the device service 84providing the access token as a request parameter to the API 90 and/orthe device service 84 (event 10 380). The device service 84 and/or theAPI 90 may analyze the access token and return the requested resourcesfrom the data model based on the permissions granted to the clientapplication 352 (event 11 382).

In some embodiments, the client 318 or the client application 352 mayhave their access revoked by the user at any time. For example, the usermay access a “settings” screen and revoke the permissions granted to theclient. The authorization server 191 may generate and send an accesstoken revocation message that deletes the access token assigned to theclient 318 or the client application 352. The deletion may be detectedand, if the client 318 or the client application 352 that had theiraccess deleted was the last authorized client, then data synchronizationbetween the API 90 and the data service 84 may be stopped. Further, anysessions that were authenticated with the deleted access token may bedisconnected.

In some embodiments, multi-user integration (MUI) may enable the client318 or client application 352 to open a single connection (HTTPS) andread data from multiple users. Each connection may be responsible forthe portion of the users using a particular host. Using the singleconnection may improve efficiency between server-to-server integrationsby reducing the overall number of connections. In one example, RESTstreaming may be used by clients making a call to a multiuser endpointwith a list of access tokens. In some embodiments, the response mayinclude all data for each access token, including all structures and alldevices, and metadata. The client may examine the response data to mapthe access tokens to the corresponding users and/or filter the datavalues for the information the client desires. To enable the client tomap the access tokens, a metadata section may be included in eachresponse that includes the access token associated with the data and theuser.

If the client desires to modify the list of access tokens, theconnection may be closed, the list updated, and the multi-user call maybe made by the client again to reestablish the connection. In someembodiments, when data for users associated with additional accesstokens is desired, the client may close the connection and add the addthe additional access tokens to the list to send in another request tothe multiuser endpoint. As long as the list does not exceed a thresholdnumber of access tokens, the connection will be established and datawill be returned for all of the access tokens in the list. That is, insome embodiments, the connection may not be established if more than athreshold number of access tokens are provided. It should be noted, thatsingle-client integrations (e.g., mobile apps) may typically open a newconnection for each access token and may not use MUI. To make a MUIcall, the client 318 or client application 352 may use a specificendpoint (e.g., https://developer-api.nest.com/multiplex) to make a RESTstreaming call, or the like, and include a list of access tokens in therequest. For example, the request URL may be entered as follows:

-   -   https://developer-api.nest.com/multiplex?auth=LIST_OF_ACCESS_TOKENS

The list_of_access_tokens URL parameter may be of type list and be acomma-separated list with a configured maximum number of access tokens.The authorization server 191 may validate the list against the accesstokens associated with the client 318 or the client application 352. Insome embodiments, as mentioned above, the response may include all datavalues in an all objects so the client 318 or the client application 352may filter the fields of interest and map the access tokens to thecorresponding users (e.g., by identifying the access tokens provided ina metadata section of the response and mapping them to the users).Additionally or alternatively, there may be more than one response andeach response may be particular for a single access token that was sentin the list of access tokens with the request. The metadata sectionincluding the access token provides a mechanism to identify which accesstoken with which the data and/or user is associated.

In one embodiment of multi-user integration, a method for authorizingaccess for an application programming interface (API) client or APIclient device to data of one or more data models of one or more smartdevices may include retrieving a number of access tokens from anauthorization server. The method may also include providing, via asingle connection, the plurality of access tokens in a request made bythe API client or the API client device to the API. The plurality ofaccess tokens are used to verify access rights of the API client or theAPI client device to read data for a plurality of users associated withthe one or more data models of the one or more smart devices. The methodmay be implemented as computer instructions on a tangible,non-transitory computer-readable media and executed by the API client orAPI client device.

As mentioned above, there may be one or more scopes that includespecific permissions associated with certain functionality that may begranted to application programming interface (API) clients and/or clientapplications. A scope may refer to a collection of permissions. Scopesare a unit of permission defining the ability to access or modify theuser's data. Scopes may be identified by a unique name (e.g., 64characters) and an ID number, as discussed below. Scopes enableidentifying elements in the data model by permissions to which theclient 318 has access. The elements may be located in the data modelbased on unique paths that the client 318 is granted access (e.g., read,write, read and write) via the scope granted. That is, there may be aone to one correspondence between a path in the data model and theelement to which the client 318 has access. Thus, a scope may includeproviding various access rights to a bundle of paths to elements in thedata model.

The scopes that are assigned and granted to the client 318 or the clientapplication 352 may be tied to the session (access token) for the lifeof the session. In some embodiments, the API 90 may validate that theaccess token is signed by a client secret issued by the authorizationserver 191. After validation, the API 90 may allow access to theresources in the data model according to the granted scopes associatedwith the access token using the device service 84. In some embodiments,rules may be set up that allow access to the resources if certainconditions are met. The table below shows one such rule.

“users” : {  “$user” : {   “.read”: “auth.for_user == $user”,  } }Sample Rule

The above rule indicates that the authenticated user can read theusers/<user> element if the “for_user” field of the access token is<user>. Using this technique, rights information may be stored and usedto limit third party access to the elements for which the third partyhas granted permissions. Moreover, updates (insertions, deletions,modification) on the rights tree may be detected and any needed changesmay be made to synchronize various servers included in the system. Anauthorization tree may contain an object for each user who has grantedany client 318 or client application 352 access. Within the user objectthere may be sub-objects for every client that has been granted access.Each client object contains information on rights granted to thatclient. The below table includes an example of an authorization tree.

{  auth:   {   55156: //user ID    {    1234: //client ID     {    scopes: [“thermostat read”],     granted_at ...     etc...     }   5678: //client ID     {     scopes: [“thermostat read/write”,“smoke + CO read”],     granted_at ...     }    }   } }Authorization Tree

As displayed in the table, the user with ID 55156 granted scopes to twoclients, client ID “1234” and client ID “5678”. The scope granted toclient ID “1234” includes only the thermostat read scope and the clientID “5678” includes both the “thermostat read/write” scope and the“smoke+CO read” scope. The various scopes and permissions bundled intoeach scope are discussed in detail below.

The permissions are designed and organized into scopes based on thetypes of data each client 318 might need. For example, for clients 318that only check in and get status updates, a developer may only select a“read” permission for data elements, and, as a result, only choose ascope including read permissions to the associated element paths.However, if the client 318 is designed to set device values or status,the developer may choose a “read/write” permission for those elementsand choose a scope including read/write permissions to the associatedelement paths. The scopes including the permissions that are selectedfor a particular client should match the client's features. As theclient's features expand, the client 318 may need new permissions. Insome embodiments, a new client version may be created with a scope thatincludes the newly required permissions and that client version may beoffered to the users 316. It should be understood that if the client 318is authorized the assigned scope, then the client may receive all of thepermissions defined for that scope. Also, if multiple scopes areauthorized for a client 318, then the client may receive a superset ofall permissions combined contained in those scopes. Below is a table ofsome general scopes and the permissions that each scope includes,according to an embodiment.

Scope: Thermostat read Grants read permission to most of the Thermostatand Structure data values Scope: Thermostat read/write Grants readpermission to all of the Thermostat data values Grants write permissionto these Thermostat data values: fan_timer_active, alltarget_temperature_x fields and hvac_mode Grants read permission to mostof the Structure data values Scope: Smoke + CO read Grants readpermission to all the Smoke + CO Alarm data values and most of theStructure data values Scope: Away read Grants read permission to most ofthe Structure data values Scope: Away read/write Grants read permissionto most of the Structure data values Grants read/write permission foraway Scope: ETA write Grants read permission to most of the Structuredata values Grants write permission to eta Scope: Postal code readGrants read permission for postal_code Scope: Product data read/writeGrants read permissions for all of the Company data values Grantsread/write permissions to software version and all of the resource usedata valuesScopes and Permissions

To illustrate, if a developer is registering a client 318 that listensto (e.g., reads) the ambient temperature, target temperature and theaway state of the home, then the developer would choose the “thermostatread” scope, which provides only read access to those data elements.Conversely, a client 318 that needs to actively modify targettemperature, heat/cool mode or fan timer should be assigned the“thermostat read/write” scope, which would provide write access to thosedata elements, and retain read access to the other thermostat andstructure data elements. Another client 318 might track smoke and COstate, so the “smoke+CO alarm read” scope may be chosen to provide readpermissions to those data elements. Still another client 318 could focussolely on the home, and take action when the user 316 arrives home, orafter the user leaves the home. In such a case, the “away read/write andETA write” scope may be chosen.

The below tables illustrate the various scopes for element paths in thedata model for smart devices, such as thermostats 10A and detectors 10B,and a structure in more detail. The names of the scopes are across thetop row of the table, the second row includes the scope ID, the thirdrow includes a version number of the scope, and the leftmost columnincludes the field/data element paths. In some embodiments, a permissionfield in the data model may store all the permissions included for theselected scope(s). When the user 316 approves the requested scope forthe client 318, an authorization session may be created and the stringincluding all permissions for the client 318 may be copied into a rowwhere authorization session information resides including the accesstoken. The approved scopes for the client may be stored as part of alogin string in the data model where the access token is stored. Theaccess token is reused each time the client requests data from the dataservice 84. It should be noted, that in some embodiments, every scopehas at least read permissions to an access_token and client_versionelement included in a “Metadata” object of the data model.

Thermostat Thermostat Name read read Fields ID 10 19 Version  1  2/devices/thermostats/device_id/device_id READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/local READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/software_version READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/structure_id READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/name READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/name_long READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/last_connection READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/is_online READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/can_cool READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/can_heat READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/is_using_emergency_heat/devices/thermostats/device_id/has_fan READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/fan_timer_active READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/fan_timer_timeout READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/has_leaf READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/temperature_scale READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/target_temperature_f READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/target_temperature_c READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/target_temperature_high_f READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/target_temperature_high_c READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/target_temperature_low_f READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/target_temperature_low_c READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/away_temperature_high_f READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/away_temperature_high_c READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/away_temperature_low_f READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/away_temperature_low_c READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/hvac_mode READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/ambient_temperature_f READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/ambient_temperature_c READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/humidity READ/structures/structure_id/structure_id READ READ/structures/structure_id/thermostats READ READ/structures/structure_id/smoke_co_alarms READ READ/structures/structure_id/away READ READ /structures/structure_id/nameREAD READ /structures/structure_id/country_code READ READ/structures/structure_id/postal_code/structures/structure_id/peak_period_start_time READ READ/structures/structure_id/peak_period_end_time READ READ/structures/structure_id/time_zone READ READ/structures/structure_id/eta /structures/structure_id/data_uploadThermostat Read Scope

As described above and shown in the Themostat Read Scope table, thethermostat read scope grants read permission to most of the thermostatand structure data values in the data model. Version 1 of the thermostatread scope does not provide read access to the humidity data valuesbecause the element may have been added to the data model after version1 was created. As depicted, version 2 of the thermostat read scopegrants read permission to the humidity data path in addition to all ofthe other elements included in version 1.

Thermostat Thermostat Name read/write read/write Fields ID 11 20 Version 1  2 /devices/thermostats/device_id/device_id READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/local READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/software_version READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/structure_id READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/name READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/name_long READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/last_connection READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/is_online READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/can_cool READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/can_heat READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/is_using_emergency_heat READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/has_fan READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/fan_timer_active READ READ WRITE WRITE/devices/thermostats/device_id/fan_timer_timeout READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/has_leaf READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/temperature_scale READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/target_temperature_f READ READ WRITEWRITE /devices/thermostats/device_id/target_temperature_c READ READWRITE WRITE /devices/thermostats/device_id/target_temperature_high_fREAD READ WRITE WRITE/devices/thermostats/device_id/target_temperature_high_c READ READ WRITEWRITE /devices/thermostats/device_id/target_temperature_low_f READ READWRITE WRITE /devices/thermostats/device_id/target_temperature_low_c READREAD WRITE WRITE /devices/thermostats/device_id/away_temperature_high_fREAD READ /devices/thermostats/device_id/away_temperature_high_c READREAD /devices/thermostats/device_id/away_temperature_low_f READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/away_temperature_low_c READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/hvac_mode READ READ WRITE WRITE/devices/thermostats/device_id/ambient_temperature_f READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/ambient_temperature_c READ READ/devices/thermostats/device_id/humidity READ/structures/structure_id/structure_id READ READ/structures/structure_id/thermostats READ READ/structures/structure_id/smoke_co_alarms READ READ/structures/structure_id/away READ READ /structures/structure_id/nameREAD READ /structures/structure_id/country_code READ READ/structures/structure_id/postal_code/structures/structure_id/peak_period_start_time READ READ/structures/structure_id/peak_period_end_time READ READ/structures/structure_id/time_zone READ READ/structures/structure_id/eta /structures/structure_id/data_uploadThermostat Read/Write Scope

As described above and shown in the Themostat Read/Write Scope table,the thermostat read/write scope grants read permission to all of thethermostat data values, grants write permission to fan_timer_active, alltarget_temperature_x fields and hvac_mode data elements, and grants readpermission to most of the structure data values. It should be notedthat, in some embodiments, certain authorization rules may ensure thatwhen data is written (e.g., modified) by a third party, the modifieddata includes a field (e.g., “touched_by”) that is set equal to areserved value indicating that a third party made a change and/or amodified at date/time that is set to date/time the data was modified. Inthis way, third party activity with resources in the data model may belogged and monitored.

Smoke + Smoke + Name CO read CO read Fields ID 12 21 Version  1  2/devices/smoke_co_alarms/device_id/device_id READ READ/devices/smoke_co_alarms/device_id/locale READ READ/devices/smoke_co_alarms/device_id/software_version READ READ/devices/smoke_co_alarms/device_id structure_id READ READ/devices/smoke_co_alarms/device_id/name READ READ/devices/smoke_co_alarms/device_id/name_long READ READ/devices/smoke_co_alarms/device_id/last_connection READ READ/devices/smoke_co_alarms/device_id/is_online READ READ/devices/smoke_co_alarms/device_id/battery_health READ READ/devices/smoke_co_alarms/device_id/co_alarm_state READ READ/devices/smoke_co_alarms/device_id/smoke_alarm_state READ READ/devices/smoke_co_alarms/device_id/ui_color_state READ READ/devices/smoke_co_alarms/device_id/is_manual_test_active READ/devices/smoke_co_alarms/device_id/last_manual_test_time READ/structures/structure_id/structure_id READ READ/structures/structure_id/thermostats READ READ/structures/structure_id/smoke_co_alarms READ READ/structures/structure_id/away READ READ /structures/structure_id/nameREAD READ /structures/structure_id/country_code READ READ/structures/structure_id/postal_code/structures/structure_id/peak_period_start_time/structures/structure_id/peak_period_end_time/structures/structure_id/time_zone READ READ/structures/structure_id/eta /structures/structure_id/data_uploadSmoke+CO Read Scope

The smoke+CO read scope grants read permission to all the smoke+CO alarmdata values and most of the structure data values, as show in the tableabove. The smoke+CO read scope version 2 includes the same permissionsfor all of the data values included in version 1 but adds additionalread permission to the is_manual_test_active data element and thelast_manual_test_time data element. The name data value may be displayedin user interface labels, while the name_long may be used in long formtext. Device_id may be a string that uniquely represents this device.When a device is connected to multiple clients, each developer may see adifferent device_id for that device. In embodiments where the samedeveloper has installed multiple clients for the device, the developermay see the same device_id. The locale data value may include thelanguage and country code assigned to the device. Software_version mayinclude a string that represents the firmware currently installed on thedevice. Structure_id may include a string that uniquely represents thisstructure (the structure that the device is paired with).Last_connection may include the timestamp of the last successfulconnection to the data service 84. Is_online may include the onlinestatus that is determined by using the last_connection time and anexpected reconnection window that is device specific. Battery_health mayinclude a string that states whether the battery is OK or whether itneeds to be replaced.

Co_alarm_state may include values that increase in severity. Forexample, when the CO levels are rising, the co_alarm_state may show“warning” and when the user should exit the home, the co_alarm_state mayshow “emergency.” Smoke_alarm_state may include values that increase inseverity. For example, when the smoke levels are rising, thesmoke_alarm_state may show “warning” and when the user should exit thehome, the smoke_alarm_state may show “emergency.” Theis_manual_test_active_data value is normally “false” but may be “true”when a smoke or CO test is started. Last_manual_test_time may includethe timestamp of the last successful manual smoke or CO test. Theui_color_state data value may be derived from is_online, battery_health,co_alarm_state, and smoke_alarm_state. The ui_color_state may mirror thecolor that is displayed on an app and/or the device.

Away Name read Fields ID 14 Version  1/structures/structure_id/structure_id READ/structures/structure_id/thermostats READ/structures/structure_id/smoke_co_alarms READ/structures/structure_id/away READ /structures/structure_id/name READ/structures/structure_id/country_code READ/structures/structure_id/postal_code/structures/structure_id/peak_period_start_time/structures/structure_id/peak_period_end_time/structures/structure_id/time_zone READ /structures/structure_id/eta/structures/structure_id/data_uploadAway Read Scope

As described above and shown in the Away Read Scope table, the away readscope grants read permission to most of the structure data values. Forexample, version 1 of the away read scope grants read permission to/structures/structure_id/structure_id,/structures/structure_id/thermostats,/structures/structure_id/smoke_co_alarms, /structures/structure_id/away,/structures/structure_id/name, /structures/structure_id/country_code,and /structures/structure_id/time_zone. Version 1 of the away read scopedoes not provide read or write permission to the following dataelements: /structures/structure_id/postal_code,/structures/structure_id/peak_period_start_time,/structures/structure_id/peak_period_end_time,/structures/structure_id/eta, or /structures/structure_id/data_upload.It should be noted that the away field may indicate whether thestructure is occupied and may include three states: home (someone is inthe house, either because the smart device determines that someone is inthe house based on motion sensor data or the user has explicitly set thestructure to home via an application, the client, or ETA), away (theuser has explicitly set the structure to away), auto-away (the smartdevice has determined that no one is in the structure).

Away Name read/write Fields ID 15 Version  1/structures/structure_id/structure_id READ/structures/structure_id/thermostats READ/structures/structure_id/smoke_co_alarms READ/structures/structure_id/away READ WRITE /structures/structure_id/nameREAD /structures/structure_id/country_code READ/structures/structure_id/postal_code/structures/structure_id/peak_period_start_time/structures/structure_id/peak_period_end_time/structures/structure_id/time_zone READ /structures/structure_id/eta/structures/structure_id/data_uploadAway Read/Write Scope

As described above and shown in the Away Read/Write Scope table, theaway read/write scope grants read permission to most of the structuredata values (e.g., the same data values that read permissions aregranted in the away read scope) and grants read/write permission for theaway data value.

Name ETA write Fields ID 17 Version  1/structures/structure_id/structure_id READ/structures/structure_id/thermostats READ/structures/structure_id/smoke_co_alarms READ/structures/structure_id/away /structures/structure_id/name READ/structures/structure_id/country_code READ/structures/structure_id/postal_code/structures/structure_id/peak_period_start_time/structures/structure_id/peak_period_end_time/structures/structure_id/time_zone READ /structures/structure_id/etaWRITE /structures/structure_id/data_uploadETA Write Scope

As described above and shown in the ETA Write Scope table, the ETA writescope grants read permission to most of the structure data values andgrants write permission to the eta data value. For example, version 1 ofthe ETA write scope grants read permissionto/structures/structure_id/structure_id,/structures/structure_id/thermostats,/structures/structure_id/smoke_co_alarms, /structures/structure_id/name,/structures/structure_id/country_code, and/structures/structure_id/time_zone. Version 1 of the away read scopedoes not provide read or write permission to the following dataelements: /structures/structure_id/away,/structures/structure_id/postal_code,/structures/structure_id/peak_period_start_time,/structures/structure_id/peak_period_end_time,/structures/structure_id/eta, or /structures/structure_id/data_upload.It should be noted that ETA is an object, set on a structure and onlywrite access is allowed. The ETA field should be used to provideinformation on when the smart thermostat 46 should prepare thetemperature of a house for people arriving.

Postal code Name read Fields ID 22 Version  1/structures/structure_id/postal_code READPostal Code Read Scope

As described above and shown in the Postal Code Read Scope table, thepostal code read scope grants read permission to the postal code datavalue.

Product data Name read/write Fields ID 23 Version  1/devices/$company/$product_type/product_id/identification/device_id READ/devices/$company/$product_type/product_id/identification/serial_numberREAD /devices/$company/$product_type/product_id/location/structure_idREAD /devices/$company/$product_type/product_id/software/versionREAD/WRITE/devices/$company/$product_type/product_id/resource_use/electricity/valueREAD/WRITE/devices/$company/$product_type/product_id/resource_use/electricity/measurement_reset_timeREAD/WRITE/devices/$company/$product_type/product_id/resource_use/electricity/measurement_timeREAD/WRITE/devices/$company/$product_type/product_id/resource_use/gas/valueREAD/WRITE/devices/$company/$product_type/product_id/resource_use/gas/measurement_reset_timeREAD/WRITE/devices/$company/$product_type/product_id/resource_use/gas/measurement_timeREAD/WRITE/devices/$company/$product_type/product_id/resource_use/water/valueREAD/WRITE/devices/$company/$product_type/product_id/resource_use/water/measurement_reset_timeREAD/WRITE/devices/$company/$product_type/product_id/resource_use/water/measurement_timeREAD/WRITE /structures/structure_id/devices/$company/$product_type READProduct Data Read/Write Scope

As described above and shown in the Product Data Read/Write Scope table,the product data read/write scope grants read permission to some of thecompany and structures data values and grants read/write permission tomost of the company data values. For example, version 1 of the productdata read/write scope grants read permissionto/devices/$company/$product_type/product_id/identification/device_id,/devices/$company/$product_type/product_id/identification/serial_number,/devices/$company/$product_type/product_id/location/structure_id, and/structures/structure_id/devices/$company/$product_type. Further, theproduct data read/write scope provides read/write permissions to/devices/$company/$product_type/product_id/software/version,/devices/$company/$product_type/product_id/resource_use/electricity/value,/devices/$company/$product_type/product_id/resource_use/electricity/measurement_reset_time,/devices/$company/$product_type/product_id/resource_use/electricity/measurement_time,/devices/$company/$product_type/product_id/resource_use/gas/value,/devices/$company/$product_type/product_id/resource_use/gas/measurement_reset_time/devices/$company/$product_type/product_id/resource_use/gas/measurement_time,/devices/$company/$product_type/product_id/resource_use/water/value, and/devices/$company/$product_type/product_id/resource_use/water/measurement_reset_time.

To assign scopes to clients 318 and/or client applications 352, adeveloper may first need to register the client 318 and/clientapplication 352 in the data model. Developers may need a developeraccount to be eligible to create clients. Developer accounts may becreated by users and the users may only be allowed one developeraccount. When initially created, the developer account may have lowprovisioning limits. Provisioning limits define how many clients adeveloper may have associated with it, and how many unique users aclient may have. Each client may have its own user limit. User limitsmay be defined as soft and hard. Soft limits may be exposed to thedeveloper and hard limits may be enforced programmatically. In someembodiments, a client active flag may (e.g., Boolean) may be set thatindicates if the client is active. If the client active flag is false,no new sessions may be authorized and no access tokens can be validated.Also, a developer active flag (e.g., Boolean) may indicate if thedeveloper is active. If the developer active flag is false, no newclients may be created, but existing clients may continue to work,including initiating new sessions.

The authorization server 191 may collect various statistics duringoperation. For example, the authorization server 191 may collectstatistics related to authorizations, created access tokens requests,successful created access tokens requests, failed created access tokensrequests, access token validation requests, successful access tokenvalidation requests, failed access token validation requests, accesstokens by user requests, deleted access tokens requests, successfuldeleted access tokens requests, failed deleted access tokens requests,created client secrets requests, retrieved client secret requests,successful retrieved client secret requests, failed retrieved clientsecret requests, deleted client secret requests, successful deletedclient secret requests, failed deleted client secret requests, and/orreserved client sessions.

When creating a client, the developer may select the scopes that theclient may need based on their intended use of the data andfunctionality. It should be noted that the term client may refer to adeveloper created integration point which defines the set of scopes anend user will be asked to grant the developer. It should also be notedthat the term vendor may refer to an organization that produces thirdparty devices (e.g., an electronic device produced by a manufacturerthat does not host the data model) in a service or data streams. Thedata model may include two tables to store vendor data (vendors table)and associations with developers (vendor developer association table).The vendors table may contain the following fields at a minimum: uniqueID (a UUID), data path name, and created at timestamp. The UUID isassigned when the vendor record is created. The UUID value may not bechanged after creation. The data path name may include a unique string,with no spaces, that may be used to identify the vendor's section of thedata model. The data path name is not intended to be exposed to endusers. The value of the data path name may not be changed after it iscreated. The created at timestamp may include the timestamp of when thevendor was created.

The vendor developer association table may map the vendors to thedevelopers that created the vendors in the data model. The vendordeveloper association table may include at least three columns: vendorID, developer ID, and created at timestamp. The vendor ID may includethe ID of the vendor, which may be a foreign key to the vendors table.The developer ID may include the ID of the developer, which may be aforeign key to the developers table. The created at timestamp mayinclude the timestamp of when the vendor developer association wascreated. In some embodiments, there may be a one to one relationshipbetween a developer and a vendor. That is, there may be a programmaticrestriction that only allows one developer to have one vendor.

APIs may be used to manage the vendors and the vendor developerassociations. For example, functionality provided by the APIs mayinclude creating a vendor, associating a vendor with a developer(associating a vendor with a developer may add the developer's user tothe vendor user group), and disassociating a vendor from a developer(disassociating a vendor from a developer may inhibit new clients beingcreated with the vendor data scopes but may not remove vendor datascopes and permissions from existing clients and authorizationsessions).

In some embodiments, an assignable permission may be used by the scopes.An assignable permission may include an attribute placeholder in certainelement data paths that will be replaced with the vendor data path nameswhen clients 318 are created by the developer. For example, a generaldefinition of an assignable permission may include /$vendor/*and/structures/*/$vendor/clients/*. The assignable permission afterbeing assigned to a client for a vendor named “Company A” may include/companya/* and/structures/*/companya/clients/*. If a scope isassignable, a replacement may be run on all placeholders when the scopeis added to the client 318. In some embodiments, scopes with assignableattributes may be restricted to developers who are in the vendor usergroup.

The assignable permissions and associated vendors may enable a developerto have a vendor associated with it and the string to access the dataelement. The assignable permission allows a vendor to provide itsspecific data into the data model and to read that data as desired usingtheir vendor specific data path. As such, the data model may include asection with vendor's device id and data specific to the client to beentered into the model. The assignable permission offers selectivevisibility into the data model based on vendor. Each device added gets anew device id and permissions levels to allow access to certain data.Each vendor may only be allowed to see data specific to each respectivevendor. To enable a client to enter and read data related to theirdevices into the data model, a vendor record may be created in thevendors table and a record may be created that associates the vendor tothe developer in the vendor developer association table. The vendor canthen register specific devices (the vendor has a device of a device typeto associate with a structure, so a record is created for that device ina user's structure in the data model) and use device services 84 toaccess the data model including the vendor specific data (using datapath name with the vendor's name inserted via the assignablepermissions). In some embodiments, a first vendor specific informationin the data model may be accessed by one or more other vendors if thefirst vendor authorizes the one or more other vendors.

In some embodiments, a client 318 may be locked with the scopes that areprovided by the developer when creating the client 318. If new elementsare added to the data model and included in different versions ofcertain scopes, a new client may be created and assigned the scopesincluding the new elements. In some embodiments, updatable client scopesmay be used to version the client. If it is desirable to change thescope information for a client, a different version of the clientincluding the desired scopes may be selected. For example, version 1 ofthe client may be assigned scope with ID “10” and version 2 of theclient may be assigned scopes with IDs “10” and “20”. A message mayappear in an end user app that indicates a developer has updated theirclient and would like to have access to the following permissions. Ifthe user 316 approves, then the permissions for version 2 are copiedinto the permissions list for the authorization session and included inthe string including the access token without having to go through aback and forth process between the device service 84 and/or API 90 andthe client 318. The process may include one click by the user to changean existing session for a client 318 to modify the allowed scopes.

In some embodiments, various database tables may be used to managevendors, developers, clients, access tokens, and the like. The tablesmay be designed in a relational manner. That is, some of the tables mayshare elements that are the same to match the elements and pull all ofthe information related to those particular elements. For example, aclient table may include a client ID and a user table may include a userID. An access token table may include an access token ID data elementand the client ID and the user ID data elements. In doing so, the accesstoken table shows which client ID's and user ID's are associated withwhich access token ID's. Similarly, an authorization code table mayinclude an authorization code ID data element and both the user ID andthe client ID. In doing so, the authorization code table shows whichclient ID's and user ID's are associated with which authorization codeID's. In addition, a scopes table may be used to maintain a scope ID andthe permissions included in the scopes. When the user approves a scopefor a client, the scope ID that is approved and the access token ID thatcorrelates to the client may be stored in an access token and scopestable, and so forth.

In some embodiments, the authorization server 191 may include one ormore servers that provide different functionality. For example, oneserver may not be exposed to the public and include low level functionsfor managing authorization codes, access tokens, client secrets, scopesand permissions, while a second server may be exposed to the public andinclude functions for higher level logic of the authorization code andaccess token granting process (query client information and list ofscopes assigned, authenticate user and fetch user ID, validate user'sconsent to grant client's requested scopes, handle redirects, receiverequest for authorization code and access token in a GET REST webservice call with query parameter format).

The internally-facing server (e.g., the server that is not publiclyexposed) may include multiple API URLs that provide variousfunctionalities. For example, the functionalities may include creatingnew authorization codes, creating new access tokens, validating accesstokens, deleting access tokens, creating new client secrets, retrievingclient ID, deleting client secrets, and the like. The requests andresponses may be in the form of JSON.

In some embodiments, an API URL to retrieve an authorization code may beused. A request to the API URL may include the user ID, client ID, PINrequest, permissions, and/or associated scope IDs. The response mayreturn a status, the authorization code, expires at date/time, and/orthe scope IDs.

In some embodiments, an API URL to retrieve an access token may be used.A request to the API URL may include the client ID, client secret,and/or authorization code. The response may return a status, the accesstoken, and/or expires at date/time.

In some embodiments, an API URL to validate an access token may be used.A request to the API URL may include the access token, which may be along unique string. In some embodiments, the access token may include aleading letter, “c”, a dot “.”, and a long random string where thecharacters are all URL compatible (e.g.,c.hpNS6bLYNOqYzhAyAIR200dzR6asdfswerASDFAFS324235). The response mayreturn a status, the user ID, the client ID, the user token,permissions, and the scope IDs if the access token is valid.

In some embodiments, an API URL to delete an access token may be used.If the deletion is successful, a response may include the access token,expires at date/time, created at date/time, ID, and client ID. If thedeletion fails, the response may include a status indicating the same.

In some embodiments, an API URL to create a client secret and/or replacean existing client secret for a client ID may be used. A response mayinclude the client ID and the client secret that is created.

In some embodiments, an API URL to get the client secret may be used. Aresponse may include the client secret that is requested.

In some embodiments, an API URL to get a client ID and a client secretmay be used. A response may include the client ID and the client secretthat is requested.

In some embodiments, an API URL to delete a client secret may be used.If a deletion request is successful, the response may include a statusindicating that the deletion was successful. If the deletion requestfailed, then the response may include a status indicating that thedeletion failed.

The publicly exposed server used by the authorization server 191 mayalso provide various functionality, such as validating an access token,getting an authorization code, revoking access to a user's data for aclient, removing authorizations for all user's clients, getting allclients for a user, getting a specific client or a user with sessions,getting all clients, checking if a client exists, getting a client ID,updating a client, deleting a client, creating a client, setting theactive state on a client, setting the users limit on a client, gettingthe status of a client's users limit, getting developer information,updating a developer, creating a new developer account, setting theactive state on a developer, setting the clients limit on a developer,setting the support flags on a developer, updating a justification for ascope, getting all clients for a developer, getting client for aspecific developer, getting all client categories, getting all scopes,getting all restrictions on a scope, adding a restriction to a scope,removing a restriction from a scope, obtaining an access token using anauthorization code, populating target structure with a fake device(thermostat), and/or deleting a session. The functionalities may beincluded in various API URLs, as generally described below.

In some embodiments, an API URL that validates an access token may beused. A request to the API URL may include the access token. If theaccess token is not valid, only a valid field may be returned indicatingthat the access token is not valid. If the access token is valid, thenthe valid field, user ID, client ID, company name, client name, usertoken, permissions, session ID, and/or scope IDs may be returned.

In some embodiments, an API URL to get an authorization code may beused. A request may include a client ID. If successful, the response mayinclude a status and the authorization code, expires at date/time, andscope IDs.

In some embodiments, an API URL to revoke access to user's data for aclient may be used. A request to the API URL may include an access tokenassociated with a client and user. If revocation is successful, theresponse may include a status and a message indicating that the sessionhas been deleted. If revocation is unsuccessful, an error response maybe returned and include a reason for the error, such as the session wasnot found or was unable to be deleted.

In some embodiments, an API URL to remove authorizations for all user'sclients may be used. A request to the API URL may include an accesstoken. If removal is successful, the response may include a status and amessage indicating that the session has been deleted. If removal isunsuccessful, an error response may be returned and include a messageindicating that the session was unable to be deleted.

In some embodiments, an API URL to get all clients for a user (includingsessions) may be used. A request to the API URL may include an accesstoken associated with the clients and the user. A response may includean ID, name, company name, description, redirect URI, scopes (ID,justification, name, version), targeted number users, intended usage,active, active, users limit, visibility IDs, category IDs, sessions,modified at date/time, created at date/time, and so forth.

In some embodiments, an API URL to get a specific client for a user withsessions may be used. A request may include an access token associatedwith the client and the user. A response may include information relatedto the client, such as an ID, name, company name, description, redirectURI, scopes (ID, justification, name, version), targeted number users,intended usage, active, active, users limit, visibility IDs, categoryIDs, sessions, modified at date/time, created at date/time, and soforth.

In some embodiments, an API URL to get all clients may be used. Aresponse may include client information, such as ID, name, company name,description, redirect URI, support URL, scopes (ID, justification, name,version), targeted number users, intended usage, active, active, userslimit, visibility IDs, category IDs, sessions, modified at date/time,created at date/time, and so forth.

In some embodiments, an API URL to check if a client exists may be used.A request may include an access token and parameters including a name(e.g., URL encoded name to check). A response may include a status,name, in use field, and so forth.

In some embodiments, an API URL to update a client may be used. Arequest may include an access token and fields related to the client toupdate, such as name, description, redirect URI, support URL, targetednumber users, and/or intended usage. It should be noted that all fieldsmay be optional and only the fields included in the request may beupdated. The response may include a status and all fields related to theclient, such as ID, name, company name, description, redirect URI,support URL, scopes (ID, justification, name, version), targeted numberusers, intended usage, active, users limit, visibility IDs, categoryIDs, developer IDs, modified at date/time, created at date/time, and soforth.

In some embodiments, an API URL to delete a client may be used. Arequest may include an access token associated with the client todelete. A response may include a status indicative of whether thedeletion request was successful. In some embodiments, a client may bedeleted if it has fewer than a threshold number of users (e.g., 25, 30,35) to which it is associated. For example, in some embodiments, theowner may delete clients that have less than 25 users.

In some embodiments, an API URL to create a client may be used. Arequest may include an access token and fields including developer ID,name, description, redirect URI, support URL, targeted number users,intended usage, scopes (ID, justification), and/or category IDs. In someembodiments, the name may be unique. A response may include a status andfields including ID, name, company name, description, redirect URI,support URL, scopes (ID, justification, name, version), targeted numberusers, intended usage, active, visibility IDs, category IDs, developerID, secret, modified at time/date, and/or created at time/date. An errorresponse may be returned in several instances, including when there isno developer account, the provisioning limit is exceeded, the user doesnot own the developer account, the developer is not active, there is aduplicate client name, the requestor is unauthorized, and/or therequestor is not a staff user.

In some embodiments, an API URL to set active state on a client may beused. A request may include an access token and an active state. Aresponse may include a status and the active state.

In some embodiments, an API URL to set the users limit on a client maybe used. A request may include an access token and a soft and a hardnumber of users limit. A response may include a status and the soft andhard limits.

In some embodiments, an API URL to get the status of a client's userlimit may be used. A request may include an access token. A response mayinclude a status, user limit, user count, and/or status OK (e.g., set to“true” if the users limit is not exceeded and set to “false” if overusers limit).

In some embodiments, an API URL to get developer information may beused. A request may include an access token. A response may include astatus and developer information, such as ID, user ID associated withthe developer, active state, client limit, address information, name,phone, company name, company URL, industry, company size, support(commercial and paid), modified at time/date, and/or created attime/date.

In some embodiments, an API URL to update a developer may be used. Arequest may include an access token and developer information to update,such as phone, company name, address information, company URL, industry,and/or company size. It should be noted that, in some embodiments, allfields in the body of the request may be optional and only the submittedfields may be updated. A response may include a status and thedeveloper's information, such as ID, user ID, active, client limit,address information, name, phone, company name, company URL, industry,company size, support (commercial and paid), modified at time/date,and/or created at time/date.

In some embodiments, an API URL to create a developer account may beused. A request may include an access token and developer information,such as user ID, name, phone, company name, address information (e.g.,first street information, second street information, city, state, postalcode, country), company URL, industry, and/or company size. A responsemay include a status and the developer's information, such as ID, userID, active, client limit, address information (e.g., first streetinformation, second street information, city, state, postal code,country), name, phone, company name, company URL, industry, companysize, support (commercial and paid), modified at time/date, and/orcreated at time/date.

In some embodiments, an API URL to set the active state on a developermay be used. A request may include an access token and active state of adeveloper. A response may include a status and the active state of thedeveloper.

In some embodiments, an API URL to update a scope's justification may beused. A request may include an access token, scope ID, and updatedjustification. The response may include a status, scope ID, and updatedjustification.

In some embodiments, an API URL to get all clients for a developer maybe used. A request may include an access token. A response may includeclient information, such as client ID, name, company name, description,redirect URI, support URL, scopes (ID, justification, name, version),targeted number users, intended usage, active, users limit, visibilityIDs, category IDs, secret, modified at date/time, and/or created atdate/time.

In some embodiments, an API URL to get all client for a specificdeveloper may be used. A request may include an access token. A responsemay include a status and client information, such as client ID, name,company name, description, redirect URI, support URL, scopes (ID,justification, name, version), targeted number users, intended usage,active, users limit, visibility IDs, category IDs, developer ID, secret,modified at date/time, and/or created at date/time.

In some embodiments, an API URL to get all client categories may beused. A response may include a status, client category ID, and name forthe client category.

In some embodiments, an API URL to get all scopes may be used. Aresponse may include a status, scope ID, scope name, and version of thescopes.

In some embodiments, an API URL to get all restrictions on a scope maybe used. Restrictions may limit a scope to particular data elements,clients, users, and so forth. A response returned by this API URL mayinclude a status and names of user groups restricting the scope.

In some embodiments, an API URL to add a restriction to a scope may beused. A request may include the restriction to be added to the scope andscope ID. A response may include a status and a message field indicatingthat the scope restriction has been added.

In some embodiments, an API URL to delete a restriction to a scope maybe used. A request may include the restriction to be deleted and scopeID. A response may include a status and a message field indicating thatthe scope restriction has been deleted.

POST /oauth2/access_token?code=STRING&client_id=STRING&client_secret=STRING&grant_type=authorization_code Request:  url parameters:   code :the authorization_code provided in the call to /oauth2/authorize.  client_id : id of the client (application) requesting access to auser's   data.   client_secret : secret key provided by Nest to client.This is also   sometimes called a ″application key″.   grant_type : maybe authorization_code Response:  status: 200  content type :application/json  body :   {   ″access_token″:″STRING″,  ″expires_in″:LONG // number of seconds until token expires   } ErrorResponse:  Missing parameter:   status: 400   contenttype:application/json   body: {″error″:″missing_paramenter″,″error_description″:″missing   required parameters: PARM_NAME″} Authorization code not found:   status: 400   contenttype:application/json   body: {″error″:″oauth2_error″,″error_description″:″authorization code   not found″}  Authorizationcode expired:   status: 400   contenttype: application/json   body:{″error″:″oauth2_error″, ″error_description″:″authorization code  expired″}  Client secret not found:   status: 400   contenttype:application/json   body: {″error″:″oauth2_error″,″error_description″:″client secret not   found″}  Client is not active:  status: 403   contenttype: application/json   body:{″error″:″client_not_active″, ″error_description″:″client is not  active″ }  redirect_uri parameter present:   status: 400  contenttype: application/json  body: {″error″:″input_error″,″error_description″:″redirect_uri  not  allowed″}Server to Server Call from Client to Authorization Server to Obtain anAccess Token from an Authorization Code API URL

The server to server call from a client to the authorization server 191to obtain an access token from an authorization code API URL displayedabove includes the contents of a sample JSON request and response. Asdisplayed, the request may include an URL parameters including theauthorization code provided in the call to /oauth2/authorize, the clientID requesting access to a user's data, the client secret key provided bythe authorization server 191 to the client, and the grant type. Theresponse may include a status, content type, and a body including fieldsrelated to the access token, and the expires in number of seconds untilthe token expires. An error may occur in several scenarios includingwhen a parameter is missing, an authorization code is not found, anauthorization code expired, a client secret not found, a client is notactive and a redirect URI parameter is present. If any of the aboveerrors occurs, an error response may include a status including adifferent status ID for the error, content type, and a body including amessage indicating which error occurred.

In some embodiments, an API URL to populate a target structure with afake device (e.g., thermostat, smoke detector) to test a client's accessand/or usage of the data model may be used. A response may include astatus and an empty message body for the sub-elements of the fakedevice.

In some embodiments, an API URL to delete a session (invalidate theaccess token) may be used. A request to delete the session, whichinvalidates the access token, may include the access token to beinvalidated. A response may include a status.

iii. Data Model

As discussed above, clients 182 communicate with the structures 10D anddevices (e.g. 10A-10C) via a shared data model (e.g., a shared JSONdocument) stored and/or accessible by the device service 84. Forexample, application programming interface (API) clients or API clientdevices may send one or more requests to the API 90 or device service 84to retrieve, access, view, subscribe, or modify data in the data modelrepresentative of one or more smart environments. Sending the requestsmay be implemented by the API client or API client device as computerinstructions stored on one or more tangible, non-transitorycomputer-readable media and executed by a processor. Data in the datamodel may be organized hierarchically. At the top level of the hierarchyare metadata, devices, and structures. Specific device types are modeledunder the devices object, such as thermostats and/or hazard detectors(e.g., smoke and CO alarms). In some embodiments, the metadata dataobject, the devices data object, and the structures data object may bepeers relative to one another (e.g., at the same relative level to oneanother) in the hierarchy. In addition, the data model may be a singleunified instance that is scalable for additional devices (e.g.,thermostats, hazard detectors, and/or party devices), companies, and/orstructures. For example, below is an example of a hierarchicallystructured data model, in accordance with an embodiment.

{  ″metadata″: {   ″access_token″: ″c.FmDPkzyzaQe...″ ,  ″client_version″: 1  },  ″devices″: {   ″thermostats″: {   ″peyiJNo0IldT2YlIVtYaGQ″: {     ″device_id″: ″peyiJNo0IldT2YlIVtYaGQ″,     ″locale″: ″en-US″ ,     ″software_version″: ″4.0″ ,    ″structure_id″: ″VqFabWH21nwVyd4RWgJgNb292wa7hG_dUwo2i2SG7j3-BOLY0BA4sw″ ,     ″name″: ″Hallway (upstairs)″ ,     ″name_long″:″Hallway Thermostat (upstairs)″ ,     ″last_connection″: ″2015-10-31T23:59:59.000Z″ ,     ″is_online″: true ,     ″can_cool″: true ,     ″can_heat″: true ,     ″is_using_emergency_heat″: true ,     ″has_fan″: true,     ″fan_timer_active″: true ,     ″fan_timer_timeout″ : ″2015-10-3 IT23 :59:59.000Z″ ,     ″has_leaf': true ,     ″temperature_scale″: ″C″ ,    ″target_temperature_f″: 72 ,     ″target_temperature_c″: 21.5 ,    ″target_temperature_high_f″: 72 ,     ″target_temperature_high_c″:21.5 ,     ″target_temperature_low_f″: 64 ,    ″target_temperature_low_c″: 17.5 ,     ″away_temperature_high_f″: 72,     ″away_temperature_high_c″: 21.5 ,     ″away_temperature_low_f″: 64,     ″away_temperature_low_c″: 17.5 ,     ″hvac_mode″: ″heat″ ,    ″ambient_temperature_f″: 72 ,     ″ambient_temperature_c″: 21.5 ,    ″humidity″: 40    }   },   ″smoke_co_alarms″: {   ″RTMTKxsQTCxzVcsySOHPxKoF4OyCifrs″: {     ″device_id″:″RTMTKxsQTCxzVcsySOHPxKoF4OyCifrs″ ,     ″locale″: ″en-US″ ,    ″software_version″: ″1.01″ ,     ″structure_id″:″VqFabWH21nwVyd4RWgJgNb292wa7hG_dUwo2i2SG7j3- BOLY0BA4sw″ ,     ″name″:″Hallway (upstairs)″ ,     ″name_long″: ″Hallway Protect (upstairs)″ ,    ″last_connection″: ″2015-10-31T23 :59:59.000Z″ ,     ″is_online″:true ,     ″battery_health″: ″ok″ ,     ″co_alarm_state″: ″ok″ ,    ″smoke_alarm_state″: ″ok″ ,     ″is_manual_test_active″: true ,    ″last_manual_test_time″: ″2015-10-31T23 :59:59.000Z″ ,    ″ui_color_state″: ″gray″    }   },   ″$company″: {   ″$product_type″: {    ″CPMEMSnC48JlSAHjQIp-aHI72IjLYHK_ul_c54UFb8CmPXNj4ixLbg″: {     ″identification″: {       ″device_id″: ″CPMEMSnC48JlSAHjQIp-kHI72IjLYHK_ul_c54UFb8CmPXNj4ixLbg″ ,       ″serial_number″:″1L090B50230″      },      ″location″: {       ″structure_id″:″VqFabWH21nwVyd4RWgJgNb292wa7hG_dUwo2i2SG7j3- BOLY0BA4sw″      },     ″software″: {       ″version″: ″1.0″      },      ″resource_use″: {      ″electricity″: {        ″value″: 42.789 ,       ″measurement_reset_time″: ″2015-01-01T01:01:01.000Z″ ,       ″measurement_time″: ″2015-01-01T01:02:35.000Z″       },      ″gas″: {        ″value″: 0.345234545 ,       ″measurement_reset_time″: ″2015-01-01T01:01:01.000Z″ ,       ″measurement_time″: ″2015-01-01T01:02:35.000Z″       },      ″water″: {        ″value″: 10000.3 ,       ″measurement_reset_time″: ″2015-01-01T01:01:01.000Z″ ,       ″measurement_time″: ″2015-01-01T01:02:35.000Z″       }      }    }    }   }  },  ″structures″: {  ″VqFabWH21nwVyd4RWgJgNb292wa7hG_dUwo2i2SG7j3-BOLY0BA4sw″: {   ″structure_id″: ″VqFabWH21nwVyd4RWgJgNb292wa7hG_dUwo2i2SG7j3-BOLY0BA4sw″ ,    ″thermostats″: [ ″peyiJNo0IldT2YlIVtYaGQ″, ... ] ,   ″smoke_co_alarms″: [ ″RTMTKxsQTCxzVcsySOHPxKoF4OyCifrs″, ... ] ,   ″devices″: {     ″$company″: {      ″Sproduct_type″: [″CPMEMSnC48JlSAHjQIp- aHI72IjLYHK_ul_c54UFb8CmPXNj4ixLbg″, ... ]     }   },    ″away″: ″home″    ″name″: ″Home″ ,    ″country_code″: ″US″ ,   ″postal_code″: ″94304″ ,    ″peak_period_start_time″:″2015-10-31T23:59:59.000Z″ ,    ″peak_period_end_time″:″2015-10-31T23:59:59.000Z″ ,    ″time_zone″: ″America/Los Angeles″ ,   ″eta″: {     ″trip_id″: ″myTripHome1024″ ,    ″estimated_arrival_window_begin″: ″2015-10-31T22:42:59.000Z″ ,    ″estimated_arrival_window_end″: ″2015-10-31T23:59:59.000Z″    }   } } }Data Model with Metadata, Devices, and Structures

As illustrated, metadata may be added to the data model. The metadataobject includes additional information that is provided when making acall to the API (e.g., via REST and/or Firebase). The access_tokenelement acts as an authorization element that is used to provide proofthat a user has authorized the client 182 to make API calls on theirbehalf. The access_token element is also used to identify which user towhich the data is associated with when receiving responses from a MUIcall, as described above. The client_version is an indication of thelast user-authorized version of a client 182 and is associated with theaccess_token.

Further, specific device types are modeled under the “devices” object.For example, in the current example, a thermostat 10A and detector 10Bare modeled. It should be noted that other devices types may be modeled,such as cameras, security alarms, and the like. Additionally, a“company” object may be modeled under the “devices” object, as explainedin detail below. Further, a structure is modeled. A structure representsa physical building. Structures 10D contain devices (e.g. 10A-10C) aswell as information for the building as a whole. For example, in oneembodiment, an estimated time of arrival to the structure 10D and/or an“away” mode indicating that no one is currently occupying the structuremay be maintained at the data model. Each of the devices and/orstructures has an associated unique identifier, which enables the APIcalls to be accurately routed to the proper device object.

In some embodiments, the data model may be hierarchically constructed ina manner where the structures are at a higher level and devices are at asub-level of a corresponding structure that the devices are associatedwith. Users of the system 180 may each have their own structure and/ordevice objects in the data model, which may be identified by anassociated user identifier. Below is an example of a data modelstructure, where structures and devices are associated with a user.

{  ″auth″: {   ″505″: {    ″myapp″: ″antoken″ //antoken is a customizedtoken payload   }  },  ″users″: {   ″505″: { /1505 is a unique useridentifier    ″structures″: { //structures object     ″f3d0c560-0312-11e1-98a4-1231381aa376″ :     { //structures unique identifier     ″country_code″: ″US″,      ″name″: ″home″,      ″away″: false,     ″location″: ″Sunnyvale, CA″,      ″postal_code″: ″94087″,     ″away setter″: 1      ″devices″: { // device associated with thestructure       ″01AA01AB431100RF″: { //device unique identifier      ″temperature_scale″: ″F″,       ″country_code″: ″US″,      ″current_temperature″: 21.5,       ″name″: ″Senior Zirconia″,      ″fan_mode″: ″auto″,       ″device_locale″: ″en US″,      ″target_temperature_type″: ″heat″,       ″can_cool″: false,      ″postal_code″: ″94087″,       ″current_humidity″: 52,      ″can_heat″: true,       ″last_connection″: 1355181256000,      ″has_fan″: false,       ″target_temperature″: 20,       ″online″:false       }      }     }    }   }  } }Example Data Model 1

As illustrated, in the above embodiment, structuref3d0c560-03f2-11e1-98a4-1231381aa376 is implemented as a sub-level ofthe user 505, indicating that the structure is associated with thisuser. Any number of structures may be implemented and/or associated witha particular user. Further, one structure may be associated with manyusers. Further, the device 01AA01AB431100RF is implemented as asub-level of structure object f3d0c560-03f2-11e1-98a4-1231381aa376,indicating that this device is a device of that structure. Any number ofdevices may be implemented and/or associated with a particularstructure.

In an alternative embodiment, a topology of associations between devicesand structures may be provided in the data model, as illustrated in thefollowing Example Data Model 2:

{ “users”: {   “505”: {    “structures”: {      “s1”: { },      “s2”: {}    }    “devices”: {      “d1”: { }      “d2”: { }    }    “topology”:{      “structures”: {       “s1”: [“d1”, “d2”],       “s2”: [“d3”]     },      “properties”: {      },      “wings”: {      },     “floors”: {      }    }   } }Example Data Model 2

In Example Data Model 2, two structures s1 and s2 are associated withuser 505. Further, devices d1 and d2 are associated with the user 505.The topology section associates the devices d1 and d2 with the structures1 and associates a third device d3 that is not associated with the user505 to the structure s2.

Honing in on the device objects, the devices (e.g., 10A-10C) may share acommon base set of information such as a user-supplied name, softwareversion and online status. Additionally, the data model may includeinformation specific to a particular device type. For example, smokeand/or CO detectors 10B may build upon the common base set ofinformation, adding alarm states. Further, thermostats 10A may add uponthe common base set of information to add data that may enable controlof HVAC systems and data regarding an observed climate of thermostat10A. Below is an example of thermostat 10A and detector 10B objects ofthe data model.

{  “devices”: {    “thermostats”: {     “peyiJNo0IldT2YlIVtYaGQ”: {      “device_id”: “peyiJNo0IldT2YlIVtYaGQ” ,       “locale”: “en-US” ,      “software_version”: “4.0” ,       “structure_id”:“VqFabWH21nwVyd4RWgJgNb292wa7hG_dUwo2i2SG7j3-BOLY0BA4sw” ,       “name”:“Hallway (upstairs)” ,       “name_long”: “Hallway Thermostat(upstairs)” ,       “last_connection”: “2014-10-31T23:59:59.000Z” ,      “is_online”: true ,       “can_cool”: true ,       “can_heat”:true ,       “is_using_emergency_heat”: true ,       “has_fan”: true ,      “fan_timer_active”: true ,       “fan_timer_timeout”:“2014-10-31T23:59:59.000Z” ,       “has_leaf”: true ,      “temperature_scale”: “C” ,       “target_temperature_f”: 72 ,      “target_temperature_c”: 21.5 ,       “target_temperature_high_f”:72 ,       “target_temperature_high_c”: 21.5 ,      “target_temperature_low_f”: 64 ,       “target_temperature_low_c”:17.5 ,       “away_temperature_high_f”: 72 ,      “away_temperature_high_c”: 21.5 ,       “away_temperature_low_f”:64 ,       “away_temperature_low_c”: 17.5 ,       “hvac_mode”: “heat” ,      “ambient_temperature_f”: 72 ,       “ambient_temperature_c”: 21.5,       “humidity”: 40     }    },    “smoke_co_alarms”: {    “RTMTKxsQTCxzVcsySOHPxKoF4OyCifrs”: {       “device_id”:“RTMTKxsQTCxzVcsySOHPxKoF4OyCifrs” ,       “locale”: “en-US” ,      “software_version”: “1.01” ,       “structure_id”:VqFabWH21nwVyd4RWgJgNb292wa7hG_dUwo2i2SG7j3-BOLY0BA4sw” ,       “name”:“Hallway (upstairs)” ,       “name_long”: “Hallway Protect (upstairs)” ,      “last_connection”: “2014-10-31T23:59:59.000Z” ,       “is_online”:true ,       “battery_health”: “ok” ,       “co_alarm_state”: “ok” ,      “smoke_alarm_state”: “ok” ,       “is_manual_test_active”: true ,      “last_manual_test_time”: “2014-10-31T23:59:59.000Z” ,      “ui_color_state”: “gray”     }    }    “$company”: {    “$product_type”: {    “CPMEMSnC48JlSAHjQIp-aHI72IjLYHK_ul_c54UFb8CmPXNj4ixLbg”: {      “identification”: {          “device_id”: “CPMEMSnC48JlSAHjQIp-kHI72IjLYHK_ul_c54UFb8CmPXNj4ixLbg” ,          “serial_number”:“1L090B50230”       },       “location”: {          “structure_id”:“VqFabWH21nwVyd4RWgJgNb292wa7hG_dUwo2i2SG7j3-BOLY0BA4sw”       },      “software”: {          “version”: “1.0”       },      “resource_use”: {        “electricity”: {          “value”: 42.789,          “measurement_reset_time”: “2015-01-01T01:01:01.000Z” ,         “measurement_time”: “2015-01-01T01:02:35.000Z”        },       “gas”: {          “value”: 0.345234545 ,         “measurement_reset_time”: “2015-01-01T01:01:01.000Z” ,         “measurement_time”: “2015-01-01T01:02:35.000Z”        },       “water”: {          “value”: 10000.3 ,         “measurement_reset_time”: “2015-01-01T01:01:01.000Z” ,         “measurement_time”: “2015-01-01T01:02:35.000Z”        }       }    }     }    }  } }Devices Data Model Objects

As illustrated, a device identifier (device_id:String) may be associatedwith the thermostat 10A and/or detector 10B. The device_id element holdsthe unique identifier of the particular device. Further, each device mayinclude the following elements: a country and language preference(locale:String), a software version (software_version:String), anassociated structure (structure_id:String), a name (name:String) (e.g.,short name for use in user interface labels), a long name(name_long:String) (e.g., for a more descriptive name), a lastconnection timestamp (last_connection:String), and a device connectionstatus (is_online:Boolean).

The thermostat may add additional elements. Some of the elements mayallow for the use of varied temperature scales (e.g., Fahrenheit and/orCelsius). The thermostat-specific elements may include: an indicationthat the HVAC system has a cooling ability (can_cool:Boolean), anindication that the HVAC system has a heating ability(can_heat:Boolean), a heat pump system emergency heating statusindicator (is_using_emergency_heat:Boolean), an indication of an abilityto control the fan separately from heating or cooling (has_fan:Boolean),an indication if the fan timer is engaged, which may be used with a fantimer timeout to turn on the fan for a user-specified preset duration(fan_timer_active:Boolean), a timestamp showing when the fan timerreaches 0 (fan_timer_timeout:String), an indicator to display anenergy-saving temperature indication (has_leaf:Boolean), a temperaturescale to use (e.g., Celcius or Fahrenheit (temperature_scale:String), adesired target Fahrenheit temperature (target_temperature_f:int), adesired target Celsius temperature (target_temperature_c:float), amaximum target temperature in Fahrenheit(target_temperature_high_f:int), a maximum target temperature in Celsius(target_temperature_high_c:float), a minimum target temperature inFahrenheit (target_temperature_low_f:int), a minimum target temperaturein Celsius (target_temperature_low_c:float), a maximum away temperaturein Fahrenheit (away_temperature_high_f:int), a maximum away temperaturein Celsius (away_temperature_high_c:float), a minimum away temperaturein Fahrenheit (away_temperature_low_f:int), a minimum away temperaturein Celsius (away_temperature_low_c:float), an HVAC mode indicatingheating, cooling, and/or heating-cooling modes (hvac_mode:String), anambient temperature measured at the thermostat 10A in whole degreesFahrenheit (ambient_temperature_f:float), an ambient temperaturemeasured at the thermostat 10A in half degrees Celsius(away_temperature_low_c:float).

The detectors 10B may include additional elements as well. Theseadditional elements may include: an indication of battery life/healthand/or an estimate of time to end of life of the detector 10B(battery_health:enum string), a carbon monoxide detection alarm state(co_alarm_state:enum string), a smoke detection alarm state(smoke_alarm_state:enum string), an indication of whether or not themanual smoke and carbon monoxide alarm test is active(is_manual_test_active:Boolean), a timestamp indicating the time of thelast successful manual test (last_manual_test_time:string), and/or anindicator of a color representative of device status (e.g., gray foroffline, green for OK, yellow for warning, and/or red for emergency)(ui_color_state:enum string). The indicator of the color representativeof device status may be derived from: is_online, battery_health,co_alarm_state, and/or smoke_alarm_state.

The company ($company:string) may represent a variable provided when aclient is created and provided the “product data read/write” scope. Thecompany variable may identify the company (e.g., client) as an entitythat can share product data with the API 90 and/or device service 84. Asillustrated, the company variable may include an element for a producttype variable ($product_type:string) that is provided when a client iscreated with the product data read/write” scope. The product typevariable may define the type of product, device, or appliancemanufactured by the company.

The product type variable may be an object or an array, depending on thestorage location. The product type variable may include a product uniqueidentifier. For each product unique identifier, there may be severaladditional elements. For example, each product unique identifier mayinclude an element for: identification, location, software, and resourceuse (resource_use). The identification (identification) element maycontain product identifiers. For example, the identification element maycontain: a device identifier (device_id:string), which is a uniquedevice identifier for the product; and a serial number(serial_number:string), which is a serial number of the product ordevice. The location element may include a unique identifier for thestructure (structure_id:string). The software element may include thesoftware version identifier for the product (version:string). Theresource use element may include elements for electricity, gas, and/orwater. The electricity, gas, and/or water elements may include resourceuse data values and measurement timestamps. For example, the environmentand gas elements may include a number of joules (value:number) consumedin a time period, a timestamp that identifies the start of themeasurement time period (measurement_reset_time:string), a timestampthat identifies the measurement time (the time when the resource usedata was measured) (measurement_time:string). The water element mayinclude a number of liters consumed in the time period, a timestamp thatidentifies the start of the measurement time period(measurement_reset_time:string), a timestamp that identifies themeasurement time (the time when the resource use data was measured)(measurement_time:string). It should be noted that, the devices objectmay be scalable to include one or more company objects and each of theone or more company objects may be scalable to include one or moreproduct (e.g., device) type objects.

Additionally, as mentioned above, structures may be represented as anobject of the data model. Below is an example of a shared structureobject and its associated data that may be read and/or written to.

{   “structures”: {     “VqFabWH21nwVyd4RWgJgNb292wa7hG_dUwo2i2SG7j3-    BOLY0BA4sw”: {      “structure_id”:     “VqFabWH21nwVyd4RWgJgNb292wa7hG_dUwo2i2SG7j3- BOLY0BA4sw” ,     “thermostats”: [ “peyiJNo0IldT2YlIVtYaGQ”, ... ] ,     “smoke_co_alarms”:      [ “RTMTKxsQTCxzVcsySOHPxKoF4OyCifrs”, ... ],      “away”: “home” ,      “name”: “Home” ,      “country_code”: “US”,      “postal_code”: “94304” ,      “peak_period_start_time”:“2014-10-31T23:59:59.000Z” ,      “peak_period_end_time”:“2014-10-31T23:59:59.000Z” ,      “time_zone”: “America/Los_Angeles” ,     “eta”: {       “trip_id”: “myTripHome1024” ,      “estimated_arrival_window_begin”:       “2014-10-31T22:42:59.000Z”,       “estimated_arrival_window_end”:       “2014-10-31T23:59:59.000Z”     }     }   } }Structures Data Model Object

The structures object may include: a unique identifier:(structure_id:string), one or more lists of devices associated with thestructure (e.g., an array of thermostats 10A (thermostats:array) and/oran array of detectors 10B (smoke_co_alarms:array) that contain theunique identifiers of the thermostats 10A and/or detectors 10B,respectively). Further, the structure may include one or moreindications of characteristics and/or statuses of the structure. Forexample, the structure object may include: an indication of thestructure state (e.g., “away” state when no occupants are in thestructure) (away:string), a name associated with the structure(name:string), a country code associated with the structure(country_code:string), a postal code associated with the structure(postal_code:string), a start time for an energy event (e.g. Rush HourRewards by Nest®) (peak_period_start_time:string), an end time for anenergy event (e.g. Rush Hour Rewards by Nest®)(peak_period_end_time:string), a time zone associated with the structure(time_zone:string), estimated time of arrival to the structure (etaobject that includes: a unique identifier for the estimated time ofarrival instance (trip_id:string), a beginning time for an estimatedarrival window (estimated_arrival_window_begin:string), and/or an endingtime for an estimated arrival window(estimated_arrival_window_end:string). In instances where there is aparticular estimated time of arrival rather than a window of arrivaltime, the beginning and end times may be set equal to the particularestimated time of arrival.

In the API 90, the concept of “Home” or “Away” is a powerful aspect thatmay affect the behaviors of certain smart device (e.g. thermostat 10A,detector 10B, and/or device 10C) features. For example, many energysavings and/or convenience features may be implemented using the “Home”or “Away” concept. For example, when integrated with other devices inthe structure via the API 90, clients 182 can further manage usercomfort and safety. For example, clients can: turn off the lights whenthe home goes into Away, send a notification if the house is Away andthe garage door is open, play music when the house switches to Home,etc.

The indication of structure state (e.g. “away” mode) may include anindication for “home” when someone is occupying the structure, “away”when a user has explicitly set the structure to away, and/or “auto-away”when it has algorithmically been determined that no one is in thestructure.

Users have the ability to manually activate Home/Away via smart devicecontrols, web applications, etc., while the API 90 offers an additionalaccess point via the clients 182. The API 90 provides the ability todirectly set Home and Away, as well as listen for changes to thesestates. Further, a variety of signals within the structure may be usedto detect human presence in a Home, and can set a sub-state of Away,called Auto-Away. If the device service 84 and/or the smart devicesdetect no presence for an extended period of time, they mayautomatically set the home to Auto-Away. Upon detection of humanpresence, the state of the structure may return to the Home state.

As mentioned above, depending on their access rights, clients 182 canread and/or write to the sections of the data model. Accordingly,subscribing to changes to the data model enables clients 182 to react inreal time to changes made to the system 180. Thus, using the API 90,clients 182 may access smart device services 84 to control and/orprovide data to one or more smart devices. For example, when a structureand/or thermostat is set to “away” mode, this status may be providedthrough the API 90 to the clients 182, which may then turn off one ormore devices (e.g., smart lighting systems, etc.).

In some embodiments, the device service 84 responds with a data objectincluding data objects from the data model (e.g., a metadata dataobject, a devices data object, a structures data object) based on therequest and scopes associated with the access token. Further, in someembodiments the clients 182 may perform a function in addition todisplaying the returned data in a page, such as controlling a setting onthe API client device based on the data, executing a control action onthe API client device based on the data, and the like.

iv. Third-Party Device Data Provisioning and Access

As previously discussed, vendors that do not have direct access to thedevice services 84 may wish to provide data to the device services 84for many reasons. For example, vendor data may be useful for reportingby the device services 84 and/or may be used in conditional triggers tocontrol one or more smart devices (e.g., thermostat 10A, detector 10B,and/or device 10C) and/or structures 10D that are under the influence ofthe device service 84. Further, this data may be accessible by othervendors, who may base control of these or other smart devices based inpart upon the provided vendor data.

Further, the device service 84 provider may desire to expand a sensornetwork within the structure 10D and/or improve device (e.g., 10A-10C)and/or structure 10D reporting and/or control algorithms. Thus, it maybe beneficial to take in such data from third-parties (e.g., those whodo not have direct access to the device services 84). Accordingly, theAPI 90 may include support for data provision from these third-parties.

Specifically, the APIs 90 may support the reception of data streams of“events” and/or “time variant data.” In one embodiment, the event datamay be provided as a named value with a name, timestamp and other datathat may be extensible. Event data may be provided upon occurrence of aparticular event. For example, event data representative of motiondetection may occur when one or more third-party sensors detect motionin the structure 10D.

Time variant data provision may relate to providing an account of dataover varying time periods. For example, this data may provide ahistorical account of particular data values of a third-party sensor.Further details and examples of time variant profiles are described inU.S. Ser. No. 62/061,593, filed Oct. 8, 2014, entitled “Fabric Network,”which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for allpurposes. In some embodiments this may be supplemented with the currentdata values. For example, re-using the motion detection examplediscussed above, the time variant data provision may provide ahistorical account of motion detected by the third party sensor (e.g.,motion detected at 5:00, no motion detected at 6:00, etc.).

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram, illustrating a third-party vendor anddevice provisioning system 500 that enables consumption of third-partydevice data via the API 90, in accordance with an embodiment. FIG. 16 isa flowchart, illustrating a process 600 for provisioning third-partyvendors and third-party devices, such that third-party device data maybe consumed via the API 90. FIG. 17 is a relational diagram,illustrating a relationship of entities stored in the system 500 whenprovisioning third-parties/third-party devices 502 in the system 500.For clarity, these FIGS. will be discussed together.

To consume data from a third-party and/or third-party device 502 (e.g.,via data sent through a third-party cloud 504 to the API 90), the system500 may be provided awareness information regarding the third-party(e.g., the “vendor”) and/or the third-party devices. This informationmay be stored in the system 500, in a manner that enables the system 500to identify and/or classify third-party data that is received. Thisawareness data (e.g., provisioning data) may be provided, for example,from the third-party and/or third-party device 904 and/or the API 90provider 506. This provisioning data may be provided to the Services191, which may include one or more provisioning modules (e.g., portionsof machine-readable instructions, implemented on a processor) forprovisioning a vendor (block 602) and/or for provisioning a device(block 604).

Vendor Provisioning

Vendors that wish to provide and/or retrieve data to and/or from thesystem 500 may be provisioned for such data provision and/or retrieval.By utilizing vendor provisioning, administrators of the system 500 maycontrol particular vendors that may interact with the system 500. Forexample, a vendor may provide a request for interactivity rights withthe system 500, which may be sent to the administrators of the system500. Once the administrators verify that the vendor is legitimate and/ormeets interactivity rights eligibility, the administrator may enable thevendor to provide vendor-specific information that may be used tofacilitate interactivity with the system 500.

Vendor provisioning (block 602) may begin by submitting, via aprovisioning process initiated by the third-party and/or third-partydevice 502 (e.g., via the third-party cloud 504) and/or by the APIprovider 506. In the provisioning process, the third-party and/orthird-party device 502 and/or by the API provider 506 may provide (e.g.,via a web service call) information to populate vendor-specificinformation (e.g., the vendor entity 702 of FIG. 17, which will bediscussed in more detail below) to the services 191. The services 191may maintain this vendor-specific information, which may be used to tieparticular devices with the newly provisioned vendor. Thus, if a requestfor device provisioning (block 604, which will be described in moredetail below) for “Device A” is provided by “Company B,” portions of thevendor-specific device information for “Company B” may be tied to devicetype-specific information for “Device A.” For example, as illustrated inFIG. 17, the Device Type Entity 704 has a “Produced By” relationshipwith the Vendor Entity 702.

Device Provisioning

To consume data from third-parties and/or third-party devices 502. Thesystem 500 may be provided particular information regarding the devices502. Specifically, a device manifest (e.g., the device manifest sectionillustrated in the Device Type Entity 704 of FIG. 17) is used tomaintain compatibility information regarding the third-party devices502. Information for the manifest may be provided via the third-partyand/or third-party device 502, a third-party cloud 504, and/or the APIprovider 506 to the services 191. The services 191 may consume thisinformation and create a device type definition for the device 502 beingprovisioned.

First, build-time profiles for expected third-party device types aredefined. These build-time profiles provide a description of particulardevice capabilities and/or metadata regarding data provided by thesedevices. For example, profiles may provide data type information, dataunits, data constraints, etc. These profiles may closely resemble Weaveprofiles, which are described in more detail in U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/926,335, filed Jun. 25, 2013, entitled “EfficientCommunication for Devices of a Home Network”, which is incorporated byreference in its entirety for all purposes. Weave is anapplication-layer protocol for communicating data. The profiles aredefined as protobuf messages using field metadata annotations todescribe manifest sections corresponding to a given profile and how thefragment of the data model JSON corresponding to a profile is validated.

The computer program listing appendix shows a code snippet example ofthe profile defining protobuf definitions, in accordance with anembodiment.

Once the profiles are defined, these profiles may be imported and usedin subsequent device type manifests, which may be used to describeand/or translate received third-party device 502 data. In embodimentswhere a profile is compatible with Weave (or other application-layerprotocol), an indicator of this compatibility may be provided in theprofile (e.g., by providing the compatible Weave (or otherapplication-layer protocol) profile identifier in the profile). Uponrelease of the profiles, new device type manifests may be created usingthe released profiles. The device type manifests are runtime artifactsrepresented by a serialized protocol message and provide device typedefinitions for the particular third-party device 502 being provisioned.

Below is an example of a third-party device manifest. In particular, theexample third-party device manifest is for an Acme brand washer withrevision 201410161.0b that provides energy and water resource usage inthe supplied units. The device manifest enables the system 500 tounderstand data that is provided to it via this type of third-partydevice 502.

identification: <   vendor_description: “Acme”,   product_description:“WSHR1138”,   revision: “201410161.0b”, >, resource_use: <   electricty:<    measure_type: ENERGY    units: <    units: <     base: KILOGRAM   >    units: <     base: METER     exponent: 2    >    units: <    base: SECOND     exponent: 2    >   >   description: “Energyconsumption in joules”   source: “power sensor” > water: <  measure_type: VOLUME   units: <    units: <     base: METER    exponent: 3    >    exponent: 3   >   description: “Waterconsumption in liters”   source: “Flowmeter”   > >

These device type definitions may be provided to the device service 84,the applications 182 and/or 510, and/or the data warehouse 185, wherethey may be used to interpret and/or translate data received from thethird-party devices 502, as will be discussed in more detail below.

Device Pairing

Once the device type is defined, a device 502 of that type may be paired(block 606). Pairing of third-party devices 502 is essentiallyregistering the device 502 with the system 500, which may aid in thesystem 500's understanding of data provided by the device 502.

The pairing process includes two basic steps. In one step, the pairingprocess collects information about the device 502, such as a location(e.g., structure) of the device, a serial number (or other uniqueidentifier) of the device 502, etc. This information may be provided bya user attempting to pair the device 502 (e.g., via a graphical userinterface prompt requesting the device-specific information). Forexample, a pairing request (e.g., a REST message) may be provided to theAPI 90 from the third-party and/or third-party device 502 and/or thethird-party cloud 504. This pairing request may include thedevice-specific information. The API 90 may transform payload dataprovided in the pairing request into a format interpretable by theservices 191 and may provide the transformed data to the services 191.For example, the API 90 may receive the request in an ISO 8601 formatand translate data from the request into an alternative format expectedby the services 191.

In a second step, the pairing process determines the device type of thedevice 502 and ties the device type to the device-specific payload dataof the third-party device 502. To do this, the services 191 may retrievean associated provisioned device type and form a relationship betweenthe device-specific payload data and the associated device type. Forexample, as illustrated in FIG. 17, during the pairing process, theDevice Type entity 704 may be tied to the Device entity 706 (e.g., a“Has Type” relationship). Further, the Device entity 706 may be tied toa particular structure (e.g., an “Is Part Of” relationship).Additionally, historical device pairing information may be stored (e.g.,by the Device History entity 712).

Upon registration with the system 500, paired devices are then providedfor subsequent distribution by the publication service 508 (e.g., via anupdate message), which may lead to publication to the data warehouse 185(e.g., via a second update message).

Providing Device Data

Once the vendor is provisioned (block 602), the device is provisioned(block 604), and the device is paired (block 606), the system 500 isable to receive and interpret third-party and/or third party device 502data. The third-party and/or third party device 502 and/or thethird-party cloud 504 may provide data via a data provision message(e.g., a Firebase and/or REST message) to the API 90.

Upon receiving third-party data, the API 90 may translate the payloadinto a format interpretable by the device service 84. Upon receiving thetranslated payload, the device service 84 may retrieve the device typedefinition for the particular device 502. For example, when the deviceservice 84 starts, it may load all available device type definitionsfrom the services 191. If the device 502 is of a known device type(e.g., has an associated device type definition loaded in the deviceservice 84), the associated device type definition may be used tosubsequently translate and/or describe incoming data from the device 502and/or cloud 504. Occasionally, the device 502 may be of an unknowndevice type (e.g., has no associated device type definition loaded inthe device service 84). For example, a device type may be provisionedafter the device service loads all available device type definitions.When the device type is unknown (e.g., has no associated device typedefinition loaded in the device service 84), the device service 84 mayprovide a request to the services 191 for a new device type definitionassociated with the device 502. Upon receiving this new device typedefinition from the services 191, the new device type definition may beused to translate and/or describe incoming data from the device 502and/or cloud 504. This device type definition acquisition may occurduring pairing of the third-party device 502 and/or as data is receivedfrom the third-party device 502 and/or cloud 504

For example, the associated device type definition may be used todescribe incoming data from the third-party device 502 and/orthird-party cloud 504. The device service 84 may propagate third-partypayload data to the applications 182 and/or 510 and/or the publicationservice 508 (e.g., via a data update message), which may result in thepayload data being stored in the data warehouse 185 (e.g., via a secondupdate message). The device type definitions may be provided not only tothe device service 84, but also the applications 182 and/or 510, and/orthe data warehouse 185, which may enable the payload to be interpretedby each of these entities. For example, accumulated third-party payloaddata that is stored in the data warehouse 185 may be interpreted usingthe device type definition, such that an energy report 514 may beprovided to the user 512. Further, any other processing logic 516 mayuse the device type definition to understand the third-party payloaddata.

Below is an example of a sample third-party device data that conforms tothe device manifest example that is provided above. Specifically, thethird-party device data represents washer data that provides energy andwater usage. As illustrated below, the payload provides time-variantdata related to a particular instance (or instances of use) for thewasher with Ser. No. 12/345,6789.

{   “identification”: {    “serial_number”: “123456789”   },  “resource_use”: {    “energy”: {      “value”: 50.2,     “measurement_reset_time”: 946684800,      “measurement_time”:1414794859    },    “water”: {      “value”: 123.7,     “measurement_reset_time”: 946684800,      “measurement_time”:1414794859    }   } }Data Entities

Moving now to a more-detailed discussion of data entities useful forthird-party data submission, FIG. 17 is a relationship diagram 700,illustrating the relationship between third-party vendor and/or deviceentities stored in the system 500 to enable third-party data consumptionand/or provision. Specifically, the vendor entity 702 represents athird-party entity that sends third-party device data. In someembodiments, access scopes may be based upon a vendor identity. Forexample, a vendor scope may correspond to an ability to read and writedata under a vendor path in the data model. Multiple clients 184 may beassociated with one vendor (e.g. third-party 502). The clients 184 maybe associated with a vendor entity 702. Accordingly, exchanging anaccess token granted to a client 184 associated to a vender entity 702(e.g., either directly or via a developer) may return permissionscorresponding to that vendor entity 702. The vendor entity 702 mayinclude a vendor path attribute, which may be unique across all vendorentities 702.

The 3P (third-party) Device type entity 704 represents a class ofdevices belonging to a single vendor that have the same informationpayload. Device types are immutable. Accordingly, once the device typemetadata is obtained, it can be cached indefinitely. Device types can beversioned. For example, differing data pathways may be provided fordevice types with different version. Thus, in one embodiment, versioningmay be handled, for example, by appending a version to common prefix,for example washer_v1 may relate to a first version of a dishwasherdevice type and washer_v2 may relate to a second version the dishwasherdevice type.

Using the vendor entity 702 and the 3P device type entity 704, thirdparty devices may be provisioned (block 604). The 3P device type entity704 includes a vendor identity attribute that identifies the vendor thatthe 3P device type entity 704 belongs to.

The 3P device type entity 704 includes a path attribute that may be usedto access devices of a particular device type. The path attribute may beunique across all device types for a particular vendor entity 702.Accordingly, device types may be retrieved using a combination of thevendor 702 path with the 3P device type 704 path.

Further, the device type entity 704 contains a serialized devicemanifest field that describes device metadata and payload for theparticular device type represented by the 3P device type entity 704.

The 3P (third-party) device entities 706 are created upon a firstpairing of the device 502 (block 606) with the API 90 and/or deviceservice 84. The device entity 706 represents an identifiable entity(e.g., a device) that produces data conforming to a given device type.For example, the device entity 706 might represent a particulardishwasher that conforms to the washer_v2 device type.

As discussed above, devices are associated with particular structureentities 708. The device entity 706 is paired with the structureentities 708, which is associated with a user entity 710. Further, adevice history entity 712 (e.g., a data table) stores a history ofpairings between the device entity 706 and the structure entity 708.

Pairing of the third-party device 502 may be triggered by providing aPOST request to the API 90 at thepath/devices/<vendor_path>/<device_type_path> with a post bodycontaining the third-party device payload. Below is an example of such apost body.

{ “identification”: { “serial_number”: “abcdefgh”, ... }, “location”: {“structure_id”: “VqFabWH21nwVyd4RWgJgNb292wa7hG_dUwo2i2SG7j3BOLY0BA4sw”,... }, ... // other profiles }POST Request Body for Device Pairing

As illustrated, the payload provided in the post body may includedevice-identifying information, such as a serial number (e.g.,identification/serial_number) and/or a structure identifier (e.g.,location/structure_id) of the structure associated with the device. Thedevice-identifying information may be used to uniquely identify a deviceof a particular type for a particular vendor, while the structureidentifier may indicate which structure the device should be paired to.In some embodiments, these fields may be required in order tosuccessfully pair with the API 90 and/or device service 84.

In the device services 84, each of the paired third-party devices 502may be stored in a “Third-Party Device” portion of the data model (e.g.,a specially designated portion of the data model for third-party devices502). These devices 502 may be provisioned at runtime, thus enablingintroduction of new third-party device pairings without requiring newservice stack releases.

When pairing completes successfully, the services 191 may provide anewly-assigned internal identifier for this third-party device 502. Thedevice service 84 may then insert this internal identifier into theoriginal payload (e.g., the POST request body) and return the result.Below is an example of the payload with added internal identifier.

{ “identification”: { “device_id”: “peyiJNo0IldT2YlIVtYaGQ”,“serial_number”: “abcdefgh”, ... }, “location”: { “structure_id”:“VqFabWH21nwVyd4RWgJgNb292wa7hG_dUwo2i2SG7j3BOLY0BA4sw”, ... }, ... //other profiles }Returned Payload after Pairing

Accordingly, the system 500 may now use and/or store device informationfrom the third-party devices 502. Thus, device data may then be providedto the device services (block 608) from these devices 502. Further, uponproper validation of a third-party and/or third-party device 502, athird-party application 182 and/or an application 510 of the APIprovider 506 may be used to provide this data to a user 512.

When devices 502 are no longer in use (or data is no longer provided tothe system 500), they may be unpaired from the system 500. To do this, aDELETE request to the API 90 at thepath/devices/<vendor>/<device_type>/<device_id>. In some embodiments,the internal device identifier is obfuscated during the pairing process.In such embodiments, the path point <device_id> may refer to theobfuscated device identifier. Based upon this DELETE request, the API 90may request the services 191 to delete the identified device 502. Whenthe services 191 complete the unpairing successfully, the services 191return a success indication to the API 90, which returns a similarindication.

The discussion now turns to a more detailed look at how the system 500consumes and/or presents third-party data. As mentioned above, accesspermissions to read and/or write to the data model may be defined usinga path leading to devices and/or structures. To enable definition ofpermissions for specific vendors, the path may include an intermediatereference to the particular vendor. For example, the devices attributemay include a sub-attribute named “vendor” or “vendor_path” followed bythe third-party vendor devices. Accordingly, the path to the third-partyvendor devices may include a vendor field, allowing particularpermissions to be provided for a particular third-party vendor.

The API 90 may receive a request to read and/or write data to the datamodel of the device service 84 and may then request authenticationrights (e.g., from the services 191). Upon verifying the authenticationrights, the API 90 may provide the vendor, device type, and/or deviceidentifier path elements to construct a corresponding device service 84read and/or write request that it provides to the device service 84.

The device service 84 may validate the received request. Uponvalidation, the request may be processed, resulting in the read and/orwrite to the data model.

v. Third-Party Insight Data Provision and Access

In some embodiments, a third-party vendor may desire to provideadditional data to the system 500. For example, the vendor may wish toprovide a stream of data relating to particular logs and/or metrics. Todo this, the third-party may provide a stream descriptor, whichdescribes the particular data that will be provided to the system 500.Then, the vendor may provide data in a format corresponding to thestream descriptor, noting the association with the stream descriptor.

Discussing first the stream descriptors, the stream descriptors providea description of any stream data that a third-party wishes to post.Below is an example of stream descriptor for amp and watt measurementsthat may be provided via a subsequent data stream.

{ “metric_stream_descriptor”: {    “version”: 1 // version number   “description”: “energy measurements”, // a human readable descriptionof the    stream    “fields”: [ // a list of fields in a stream       {      “description”: “current”, // a human readable description of thefield       “relative”: true, // whether measurements are absolute orrelative to the       preceding sample       “exponent”: 1, // scaling(in base 10) for the measurement       “logical_minimum”: 0, // expectedminimum for any sample. Need details       on diff between this andphysical       “logical_maximum”: 100, // expected maximum for anysample.       “physical_minimum”: 0,       “physical_maximum”: 1000,      “units”: { // an object describing the units for samples in thisfield          “system”: “si”, // this or english         “description”: “Amps”, // human readable description         “unit_composition”: [          {“quantity”: “current”,“exponent”: 1          }          ]       }    },    {    “description”:“Watts”,    “relative”: true,    “exponent”: 1,    “logical_minum”: 0,   “logical_maximum”: 100,    “physical_minimum”: 0,   “physical_maximum”: 1000,    “units”: {       “system”: “si”,      “description”: “watts”,       “unit_composition”: [ // a morecomplicated example representing kg *       m{circumflex over( )}2/s{circumflex over ( )}3          {“quantity”: “mass”,         “exponent”: 1          },          {“quantity”: “length”,         “exponent”: 2          },          {“quantity”: “time”,         “exponent”: −3          }       ]    }    }    ] } }Metric Stream Descriptor

Additionally, state information regarding a device may be described andprovided by a third-party vendor. Below is a state-based streamdescriptor.

{    “state_stream_descriptor”: {        “version”: 1 // currently thisshould always be 1        “description”: “smoke detector states”, // ahuman readable        description of the stream        “fields”: [ // alist of fields in a stream           {              “description”:“smoke”, // a human readable              description of the field             “states”: [                 {                 “name”: “allclear”,                 “description”: “state when                acceptable levels of smoke are                 detected”                “value”: 0                 },                 {                “name”: “heads up 1”,                 “description”:“first gentle alert on                 smoke”                 “value”: 1                },                 {                 “name”: “heads up2”,                 “description”: “more urgent alert”                “value”: 2                 },                 {                “name”: “heads up 3”,                 “description”: “”                “value”: 2                 }              },             {                 “description”: “co”, // a human                readable description of the field                “states”: [              {              “name”: “allclear”,              “description”: “state when acceptable levels             of coare detected”              “value”: 0              },             {              “name”: “heads up 1”,             “description”: “first gentle alert on co”             “value”: 1              },              {             “name”: “heads up 2”,              “description”: “moreurgent alert”              “value”: 2              },              {             “name”: “heads up 3”,              “description”: “”             “value”: 2              }           }        ]    } }

In creating the descriptors, the vendor may determine and indicatewhether the descriptor is for public or private use. Public descriptorscan be used by other developers, while private descriptors may only beused by the creating vendor. Accordingly, when the API 90 providerdesires, it can create public descriptors for third-party vendors touse, especially when the API 90 provider has particular information itwould like to collect from third-parties (e.g., energy usage, motionevents, carbon-monoxide states, etc.).

Upon completion of the creation of the stream descriptors, thedevelopers may provide the descriptor to the API 90, which may return adescriptor identifier. To post data, the third-party vendor may providethe data-stream in accordance with the format provided in thedescriptor, along with the descriptor identity provided from the API 90.Below is an example of data posted via a described data stream.

{    “stream”: {       “descriptor”: {          “developer”: 1240985,         “id”: 1240958       }       “source”: {         “manufacturer”: “Nest”,          “type”: “D2A”,          “id”:1240958098,          “qualifier”: “the thermostat”       }       “data”:[          [12098650986098, 5.60986, 1.23498],          [12098650986099,5.60986, 1.23498],          [12098650986100, 5.60986, 1.23498],         [12098650986101, 5.60986, 1.23498],          [12098650986102,5.60986, 1.23498],          [12098650986103, 5.60986, 1.23498],         [12098650986104, 5.60986, 1.23498],          [12098650986105,5.60986, 1.23498]       ]    } }vi. Third-Party Activity Monitoring

As more third-parties utilize the API 90 to communicate with and/orcontrol the system 180, it may become increasingly beneficial to monitorthird-party activities.

Tracking API 90 activities may be desirable to determine a particularresponsible party for data reads and/or writes of the device service 84data model. The API 90 activity log may transparently capture both readand/or write operations that propagate from the API 90 on behalf of theclients 182 and/or the client 182 vendors.

Multiple levels of granularity may be used to track these data readsand/or writes. For example, activity logging logic (e.g., machineinstructions implemented on a processor-based computer system) may trackmodifications and/or access to the data model at the devices level, thestructure level, and/or an overall shared data level.

Below is an example of a JSON structure for an activity log. In someembodiments, the activity log data is provided based upon a particularaccount (e.g., at an account and/or user level).

Top Level {   “sessions” : [<SessionDetails>] } SessionDetails: {  “client_id”: <number>,   “session_id”: <string>,   “events”:[<EventSpecification>] } EventSpecification: {   “action”:“put”/“subscribe”,   “action_targets”: [<ActionTarget>],   “timestamp”:<number: timestamp in ms, when modification took   place>, }ActionTarget {   “bucket_name”: <full bucket name>,   “type”:“merge/overwrite” (put only),   “value”: <json values that were put>,(put only)   “oldvalue”: <full object response json, pre-put> (put,overwrite only)   “structure_name”: <name field out of containingstructure bucket>,   “structure_id”: <structure identifier>,  “where_id”: string (device/shared only, both put/subscribe),  “where_name”: <name from where bucket matching where_id>(device/shared only, both put/subscribe),   “label”: <string from sharedbucket> (device/shared only, both   put/subscribe) }Activity Log JSON Example

In certain embodiments, the “sessions” element at the top level is anarray maintained in sorted order by timestamp. When data from theactivity log is to be read, the number of returned events may bereduced, by returning only events that have occurred within a certaintime period (e.g., the last 5, 7, 10, 15 days, etc.). In someembodiments, this time period may be configured using a parameter (e.g.,in the read call, etc.).

The “events” are an array of events (e.g., “put” and/or data “subscribe”events) that may be a combination of actions (e.g. “action_targets”) andthe time in which the actions happened. As illustrated in the exampleabove, much event metadata may be captured. For example, “bucket_name”may represent a particular location where the event occurred. “Type” mayrefer to a particular event type (e.g., merge and/or overwrite for “put”activities). “Value” may refer to a new value that has been written viaa “put” activity and “oldvalue” may refer to the data that existed priorto the “put”. Structure information corresponding to the activity mayalso be stored (e.g., the structure name and/or identifier. Further,“where” information that describes a more granular location within thestructure may be provided (e.g., a “where” identifiers and/or name).

The “SessionDetails” may include a client 182 identifier, a sessionidentifier, and the events performed during the session. Accordingly,the activity logging logic may be used to obtain a particular client(e.g. “client_id”) responsible for performing a particular action (e.g.,a put and/or subscribe event).

In one embodiment, activity logs may be used by the API 90 vendor todetermine when API 90 activities have caused changes to smart devices(e.g., thermostats 10A, detectors 10B, and/or other smart devices 10C).For example, when unexpected target temperature changes occur at athermostat 10A, the activity logs may be used to discern if athird-party is responsible for the change.

Further, in some embodiments, one or more third-party vendors may beprovided access to the activity logs. The activity logs may help thethird-party vendors to understand how their client applications areeffecting the environment 30. In some embodiments, the third-partyvendors may access activity log entries for actions and/or events causedby all vendors. In alternative embodiments, the third-party vendors mayhave access to only the actions and/or events caused by that particularthird-party vendor.

Client and Device Interactions

Having now discussed the details of the how communications betweenclient devices (e.g., clients 182) and smart devices and/or smartenvironments 10 may be facilitated, the discussion now turns toparticular interactions between the client 182 devices and the smartdevices and/or smart environments 10 that enhance the smart environmentexperience. The following discussion is broken up into various broadcategories of usage. However, it may be important to note that while aparticular device or technology is discussed with regard to onecategory, such technology may be applicable in other of the categories.For example, a discussion of sensor interaction may be discussed in asensor section of the following discussion. However, sensors may bewearable, and thus, may apply to the wearable section below, as well.The discussion categorization below is not intended to limit aparticular technology to a particular categorization. Instead, thecategorization is provided to simplify the discussion.

Mobility

The interaction discussion begins with mobility based interactions.Clients 182 (e.g., client electronic devices, such as a cellular phone,global positioning system, etc.) may interact with the smart devicesand/or smart environments 10, based upon mobility of client 182 and/or auser associated with the client 182. The following embodiments relate tosuch interactions.

ETA-Based Control of Smart Device

FIG. 18 illustrates a system 800 for providing control of the smartelectronic device of FIG. 1 using an ETA, in accordance with anembodiment. In the illustrated system 800, one or more smart devicesand/or smart environments 10 may be controlled by an ETA smart devicecontroller 802. The controller 802 may be a processor-based system thatreceives an ETA 804 from an ETA source 806.

The ETA 804 may, in some embodiments, be an estimated time of arrival tothe smart home environment. For example, an automobile may include anavigation system that acts as the ETA source 806 to provide atime-based ETA (e.g. 4:02 PM) to the controller 802. Other ETA sources806 that may provide similar ETAs 802 may include a navigation app on asmart device, a portable global positioning system (GPS), etc.

Alternatively, in some embodiments, the ETA may be associated withestimated time of arrival of an event. For example, as will be discussedin more detail below, the ETA source 806 may include an alarm clock,activity monitor, etc. that is able to determine a household occupant'swake time. Accordingly, the ETA 804 may be an ETA for the user's waketime.

Indeed, the ETA 804 may represent any estimate of arrival time for anyevent. For example, the ETA 804 may represent an estimated sleep time,an estimated away time, etc. The ETAs 804 may be based upon data fromone or more devices that may be used to derive the ETA 804.

Based upon the received ETA 804, the controller 802 may provideETA-based control of one or more smart devices and/or smart environments10. For example, as will be discussed in more detail below, a thermostatmay be controlled to heat and/or cool an environment prior to an ETA ofreturning back to the environment. In some embodiments, the controller802 may provide a control operation 808 to one or more of the devicesand/or smart environments 10. The control operation 808 may be adevice-readable instruction that may be interpreted by the smart devicesand/or smart environments 10. Alternatively, the controller 802 mayprovide a configuration setting change 810 to the smart devices and/orsmart environments 10.

In some embodiments, the controller 802 may provide the controloperation 808 and/or configuration setting 810 to one or more smartdevices and/or smart environments 10 to affect control of a secondarysmart device and/or smart environments 10′ and/or 10″. For example, thesmart device and/or smart environments 10 may forward the controloperation 808 and/or configuration setting change 810 to device 10,which may forward the control operation 808 and/or change 810 to thedevices and/or smart environments 10′ and/or 10″ (e.g., viacommunication channel 812).

Turning now to a more detailed discussion of the ETA-based control, FIG.19 illustrates a flowchart of a method 830 for providing control of thesmart electronic device of FIG. 1 using an ETA, in accordance with anembodiment.

First, an ETA is received (block 832). The ETA may be a time (e.g., 4:32PM and/or 16:32), a duration (e.g. 30 minutes from now), or otherindicator.

The received indicator may be validated (block 834). For example, aswill be discussed in more detail below, one or more criteria foracknowledging a received ETA may be created. The criteria may helpensure that purposeful and accurate ETA-based control occurs. Forexample, in one embodiment, the criteria may require multiple consistentETAs to be received prior to using an ETA to control a device. If thecriteria are not met (e.g., the ETA is not valid) the ETA is ignored andthe process 830 begins again.

When the ETA is valid, a determination is made as to whether the currenttime matches the ETA (e.g., it is 4:32 PM and the ETA is 4:32 PM and/orthe ETA is 0 minutes) (decision block 836). If the ETA is not met, theprocess 830 begins again. However, when the ETA matches the currenttime, control of the smart device is executed (block 838).

It may be beneficial to create a pre-conditioning window for triggeringETA-based control. FIG. 20 illustrates a flowchart of a method 850 forproviding control of the smart electronic device of FIG. 1 using apre-conditioning window, in accordance with an embodiment.

First, an ETA is received (block 852). The ETA may be a time (e.g., 4:32PM and/or 16:32), a duration (e.g. 30 minutes from now), or otherindicator.

The received indicator may be validated (block 854). For example, aswill be discussed in more detail below, one or more criteria foracknowledging a received ETA may be created. The criteria may helpensure that purposeful and accurate ETA-based control occurs. Forexample, in one embodiment, the criteria may require multiple consistentETAs to be received prior to using an ETA to control a device. If thecriteria are not met (e.g., the ETA is not valid) the ETA is ignored andthe process 830 begins again.

A pre-conditioning window may be obtained (block 856). For example, thepre-conditioning window may be obtained as a static instruction storedin a tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium. Alternatively,the pre-conditioning window may be derived based upon a desiredpre-conditioning time for a device. For example, for an embodiment ofcontrolling a thermostat, the pre-conditioning window may be based uponan estimated pre-conditioning time (e.g., a time to reach a programmedset point).

When the ETA is valid, a determination is made as to whether the ETA isin the pre-conditioning window (e.g., it is 4:32 PM and the ETA is 4:32PM and/or the ETA is 0 minutes) (decision block 858). If the ETA is notmet, the process 850 begins again. However, when the ETA is in thepre-conditioning window, pre-conditioning of the smart device istriggered (block 860).

FIG. 21 is a temperature profile 890 of a thermostat using the ETAcontrol system, where preconditioning is active on the thermostat, inaccordance with an embodiment. Line 892 represents ascheduled/programmed temperature for the thermostat (e.g., a programmedtemperature when occupants are present). Line 894 represents the awaytemperature (e.g., the programmed temperature when occupants are notpresent).

As illustrated, when the thermostat is in away mode 900 (e.g., whenoccupants are not present within an environment), the thermostat'sprogrammed temperature 898 is set to the away temperature 894.Accordingly, the ambient temperature 886 approaches the programmed awaytemperature 894.

When the ETA 902 is received (and is optionally validated), an ETA 902set point is generated. A pre-conditioning window 902 may be createdbased upon the ETA 902. For example, to reach the programmed temperature892, the HVAC may need to begin cooling and/or heating at the beginningof the pre-conditioning widow 902. Accordingly, when thepre-conditioning window 902 is reached, pre-conditioning begins (e.g.,the thermostat begins climate control at the programmed temperature 892.Thus, the 886 temperature progresses towards the programmed temperature892. If the pre-conditioning time is estimated properly, the ambienttemperature 886 should reach or come relatively close to the programmedtemperature 892 at the ETA 902, as illustrated by region 904.Accordingly, when an occupant arrives (e.g., at home and/or a particularevent), set-points may be accurately met. Thus, an HVAC system may coolan environment to a programmed level by arrival home and/or when waking.

FIG. 22 is a state diagram 920 of a thermostat using the ETA controlsystem, where pre-conditioning is active on the thermostat, inaccordance with an embodiment. When the thermostat is in an away mode(block 922), the thermostat stays in away mode until an ETA is received.When an ETA is received, the thermostat waits for the pre-conditioningwindow (e.g., the time needed to condition the environment to an ETA setpoint). If the pre-conditioning window is not reached, the thermostatstays in away mode (block 922). However, when the pre-conditioningwindow is reached, preconditioning commences (block 926). Thus, when theETA passes, the pre-conditioning finishes (block 928). If, at any point,the ETA is cancelled and/or deleted, the thermostat may return to awaymode (block 922). Further, if, after the pre-conditioning is finished,occupancy is not detected or occupancy is not detected for a certainduration after pre-conditioning ends, the thermostat may return to awaymode (block 922).

FIG. 23 is a temperature profile 950 of a thermostat using the ETAcontrol system, where preconditioning is disabled on the thermostat, inaccordance with an embodiment. Line 892 represents ascheduled/programmed temperature for the thermostat (e.g., a programmedtemperature when occupants are present). Line 894 represents the awaytemperature (e.g., the programmed temperature when occupants are notpresent). Line 896 represents the ambient air temperature (e.g., theHVAC controlled air temperature).

As illustrated, when the thermostat is in away mode 900 (e.g., whenoccupants are not present within an environment), the thermostat'sprogrammed temperature 898 is set to the away temperature 894.Accordingly, the ambient temperature 886 approaches the programmed awaytemperature 894.

When the ETA 902 is received (and is optionally validated), an ETA 902set point is generated. In contrast to the embodiment of FIG. 21, whichincluded a pre-conditioning window, the current embodiment does notpre-condition. Instead, upon reaching the ETA 902, the HVAC transitionsto active conditioning. Thus, an HVAC system may cool an environment ator near an ETA (e.g., arrival home and/or when waking).

FIG. 24 is a state diagram 960 of a thermostat using the ETA controlsystem, wherein preconditioning is disabled on the thermostat, inaccordance with an embodiment. When the thermostat is in a home mode(e.g., when an occupant is at the conditioned environment) (block 962),the thermostat conditions at a scheduled temperature (e.g. line 892 ofFIG. 23). When the thermostat transitions to away mode (block 964)(e.g., auto-away when occupants are no longer detected or manual awaytriggered by an operator of the HVAC system), the thermostat stays inaway mode until an ETA is received. When an ETA is received, the ETAlogic may be implemented. Because the current ETA scheme is related toenabling HVAC environment conditioning, the current ETA scheme may beimplemented when the thermostat is in an away mode (or any other modewhere thermostat environment conditioning is not active). In the currentembodiment, when a thermostat is in an inactive conditioning state andan ETA passes, the thermostat transitions back to an active conditioningstate (e.g., a home state (block 962)).

In some embodiments, it may be beneficial to retain an “away” or “home”state, while modifying activities typically associated with thosestates. For example, FIG. 25 is a temperature profile of a thermostatusing the ETA control system, wherein preconditioning is enabled duringan away mode, in accordance with an embodiment.

Line 892 represents a scheduled/programmed temperature for thethermostat (e.g., a programmed temperature when occupants are present).Line 894 represents the away temperature (e.g., the programmedtemperature when occupants are not present).

When the ETA 902 is received (and is optionally validated), an ETA 902set point is generated. A pre-conditioning window 902 may be createdbased upon the ETA 902. For example, to reach the programmed temperature892, the HVAC may need to begin cooling and/or heating at the beginningof the pre-conditioning widow 902. Accordingly, when thepre-conditioning window 902 is reached, pre-conditioning begins (e.g.,the thermostat begins climate control at the programmed temperature 892.Thus, the ambient temperature 896 progresses towards the programmedtemperature 892. If the pre-conditioning time is estimated properly, theambient temperature 886 should reach or come relatively close to theprogrammed temperature 892 at the ETA 902, as illustrated by region 904.

As illustrated, when the thermostat is in away mode 900 (e.g., whenoccupants are not present within an environment) and thepre-conditioning window 906 has not been reached, the thermostat'sprogrammed temperature 898 is set to the away temperature 894.Accordingly, the ambient temperature 886 approaches the programmed awaytemperature 894.

When the pre-conditioning window 906 is reached, the programmedtemperature 898 is set to a pre-conditioning temperature, thus causingthe ambient temperature 896 to progress towards the scheduledtemperature 892.

Accordingly, when an ETA 902 is reached (e.g., at home and/or aparticular event), the scheduled temperature 892 set-points may beaccurately met. Further, the “away” mode 900 may still accuratelyrepresent that the HVAC system is away (e.g., either auto-away or manualaway), even when pre-conditioning is enabled. Thus, an HVAC system maycondition an environment to a programmed level by arrival home and/orwhen waking.

Additionally, the ETA logic may be used to adjust set point times forparticular events/activities associated with set points. For example, inthe illustrated embodiment, a sleep set point 982 triggers a temperatureadjustment of the scheduled temperature 892. The sleep set point 982 maybe adjusted to provide a more comfortable and/or more energy efficientsleep environment. The sleep set point 982 time may be adjusted based ona number of attributes. For example, the sleep set point 982 time may beadjusted based upon an indication that sleep will occur at a particulartime. In one embodiment, the sleep set point 982 time may be set basedupon a period of time after bedroom lights are turned off after aparticular threshold time period (e.g., sleep set point 982 time=Lightsout time+15 minutes, when the lights out is at or after 10:00 PM).

Any number of set points and associated times may be added to the HVACsystem. For example, ETA set points for multiple occupants may be set(allowing for adjusted temperatures for each occupant). Further, wakeset points may be set. Wake set point times may be calculated based upondata received from an alarm clock, an alarm clock app, an activitymonitor, etc.

In some embodiments, an “arriving” mode may implemented within thethermostat. The arriving mode may be a transitional mode between “home”and “away” that is implemented upon receiving an indication that someonewill be arriving at the controlled environment. For example, when an ETAis provided to the thermostat, the thermostat may take this as anindication that a user is on their way to the environment, regardless ofwhen that user will actually arrive at the environment.

The “arriving” mode may be useful in scenarios where it may be desirablefor multiple thermostats to perform in the same manner, based upon anETA. For example, in a two-story house, one thermostat may have a longerpre-conditioning period than another thermostat. Accordingly, using thepre-conditioning schemes discussed above, the thermostats may beginconditioning the environment at separate times. Alternatively, byplacing the thermostats in “arriving” mode, the thermostats may bothbegin conditioning based upon receiving an indication that someone willarrive, instead of a pre-conditioning estimate for each individualthermostat. Accordingly, the thermostats may both use the same triggerpoint (e.g., 5 minutes after receiving an indication that someone willeventually arrive at the environment) to begin conditioning theenvironment. Thus, the thermostats will have common execution, at leastwith regards to execution tasks associated with the “arriving” mode.

FIG. 26 is a flowchart illustrating a process 1000 for validating anETA, in accordance with an embodiment. First, an ETA is received (block1002). The ETA may be associated with a trip or event indicator, whichmay be used to associate received ETAs with other received ETAs of thetrip or event.

Next, a determination is made as to whether the ETA meets a basicvalidity check (decision block 1004). For example, the basic validitycheck may include a determining whether the ETA is in future, whetherthe ETA meets formatting guidelines, whether the ETA is within a maximumETA interval, etc.

If the ETA is valid according to the basic validation, a determinationis made as to whether the ETA meets the minimum time between ETA samples(decision block 1006). For example, it may be beneficial to only useETAs that are received at least a certain time interval between oneanother. The minimum time between samples may be obtained (block 1008)either from an external or internal data source.

The interval between the samples may be obtained by comparing other ETAsassociated with the trip/event id and determining the difference in timebetween the ETAs (e.g., based upon stored timestamp data associated withthe ETAs). If the received ETA fails the basic validation (decisionblock 1004) and/or does not meet the minimum time between ETA samples(decision block 1006), the ETA sample is disregarded (block 1010) andreception of new ETAs (block 1002) commences.

To limit unintended control, a minimum number of conforming ETAestimates may be mandated prior to enabling set point control. Thisallows control to occur after the system is more confident that the ETAshould be used. As with obtaining the minimum time between samples, theminimum number of conforming samples may be obtained from eitherinternal and/or external data sources.

If the ETA meets the time interval between the ETA samples (decisionblock 1006), a sample count is incremented (block 1012). If theincremented sample count is not greater than or equal to a minimumnumber of conforming samples (decision block 1016), the ETA is noted,but is not used for control of the system. The system continuesreceiving ETAs (block 1002) until the sample count is greater than orequal to the number of minimum conforming samples. Once the sample countis greater than or equal to the minimum number of conforming samples,the ETA is noted as valid and is used as a basis of control for thesystem (block 1018).

FIG. 27 is a flowchart illustrating a process 1040 for defining apre-conditioning window statically, in accordance with an embodiment.The process 1040 begins by obtaining a static early arrival window(block 1042). In one embodiment, the state early arrival window may bestored as a machine-readable instruction in a tangible, non-transitory,machine-readable medium of the ETA service. Additionally and/oralternatively, the static early arrival window may be provided from anexternal data source.

The pre-conditioning window (or other control set point time) may thenbe defined based upon the static early arrival window (block 1044). Forexample, when the static early arrival window is 20 minutes, thepre-conditioning window is set to 20 minutes prior to the ETA.

FIG. 28 is a schematic drawing of a system 1050 using a staticpre-conditioning window, in accordance with an embodiment. Theillustration of FIG. 28 provides two houses, a small house 1052 and alarge house 1054. Further, the small house 1052 is illustrated withmilder weather conditions 1056 than the extreme weather conditions 1058of the large house 1054. Both the small house 1052 and the large house1054 use the static 15 minute early arrival window 1060. Accordingly,despite the varied conditions of the small and large houses 1052 and1054, the pre-conditioning initiation time for these homes will be thesame. For example, if an application from a device (e.g., vehicle 1064,activity monitor bracelet 106, and/or alarm clock 1068) provides an ETA1062 of 5:00 to both houses 1052 and 1054, pre-conditioning will beginat 4:45 (5:00-15 minutes) at both houses 1052 and 1054.

FIG. 29 is a flowchart illustrating a process 1080 for defining apre-conditioning window dynamically, in accordance with an embodiment.The process 1080 begins by obtaining a pre-conditioning estimate (block1082). As described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,606,374, filed Sep. 14, 2010,U.S. Pat. No. 8,452,457, filed Sep. 30, 2012, U.S. Pat. No. 8,630,742,filed Sep. 30, 2012, U.S. application Ser. No. 13/866,602, filed Apr.19, 2013, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/256,741, filed Apr.18, 2014, all of which are incorporated herein by reference herein intheir entirety for all purposes, a number of factors may be used todetermine an environment's pre-conditioning estimate. For example, thebuild quality, size, ceiling height, location, etc. of a conditionedenvironment may be used to determine a pre-conditioning estimate.Further, ambient weather conditions, etc. may also be used.

Once the pre-conditioning estimate is determined, the pre-conditioningwindow is defined based on the pre-conditioning estimate (block 1084).Accordingly, an environment's particular characteristics may be used tocontrol pre-conditioning times (or pre-conditioning times for any otherevent and/or activity set points).

FIG. 30 is a schematic drawing of a system 1100 using a dynamicpre-conditioning window, in accordance with an embodiment. Similar toFIG. 28, the illustration of FIG. 30 provides two houses, a small house1052 and a large house 1054. Further, the small house 1052 isillustrated with milder weather conditions 1056 than the extreme weatherconditions 1058 of the large house 1054.

In contrast to the illustration of FIG. 28, in FIG. 30, the small house1052 and the large house 1054 use the personalized pre-conditioningestimates as a basis for determining each house's pre-conditioningwindow. As mentioned herein, the varied conditions of the small andlarge houses 1052 and 1054 may result in varied pre-conditioning times.For example, because the large house 1054 has more space to condition,the pre-conditioning may take longer. Further, the large house hasextreme weather conditions 1058 in comparison to the mild conditions1056 of the small house 1052. This may also add to the pre-conditioningtime of the large house 1054. Indeed, as illustrated, thepre-conditioning window 1102 for the small house is 15 minutes, whereasthe pre-conditioning window 1104 for the large house 1054 is 45 minutes.Accordingly, if an application from a device (e.g., vehicle 1064,activity monitor bracelet 106, and/or alarm clock 1068) provides an ETA1062 of 5:00 to both houses 1052 and 1054, pre-conditioning will beginat 4:45 (5:00-15 minutes) at the small house 1052 and at 4:15 (5:00-45minutes) for the large house 1054.

In some instances, there may be multiple sources of ETAs 404.Accordingly, control and/or configuration of devices based upon ETAs mayuse conflict resolution logic to determine which of a plurality of ETAs804 should trigger control and/or configuration changes. FIG. 31 is aschematic drawing of a system 1130 for providing control of the smartelectronic devices and/or smart environments 10 of FIG. 1 using ETAconflict logic 1132, in accordance with an embodiment. In theillustrated system 1100, one or more smart devices and/or smartenvironments 10 may be controlled by an ETA smart device controller 802.The controller 802 may be a processor-based system that receives ETAs804 and 804′ from a plurality of ETA sources 806 (e.g., in-vehicleapplications 1064 and 1064′).

Based upon the received ETAs 804 and 804′, the controller 802, when usedin conjunction with conflict logic 1132, may provide appropriatemulti-ETA-based control and/or configuration changes to one or moresmart devices and/or smart environments 10.

The conflict logic 1132 may provide control and/or configuration changesbased upon both ETAs 804 and 804′ when control and/or configurationchanges do not conflict based upon multiple ETAs. For example, in asystem where control of a smart television is to be turned on at thearrival of the in-vehicle application 1064 and where control of an HVACis to be pre-conditioned based upon the arrival of the in-vehicleapplication 1064′, both ETA-based controls may be implemented, becausethey are not mutually-exclusive control events.

However, when mutually-exclusive events occur, the conflict resolutionlogic 1132 may prioritize a particular ETA 804 or 804′ to triggercontrol. For example, in a system where pre-conditioning is triggered byeither ETA 804 or 804′, the conflict resolution logic 1132 may enablepre-conditioning to occur by prioritizing one ETA over the other. Thelogic 1132 may prioritize a particular ETA based on any number offactors. For example, an operator of the system 1130 may provide anindication to prioritize one ETA over another. Additionally oralternatively, the logic 1132 may prioritize an ETA that is closer intime than the other ETAs. Thus, in the pre-conditioning example,pre-conditioning will begin based upon the earliest arrival time,providing a pre-conditioned environment for all occupants arriving atthe environment.

While prioritization of a particular ETA may occur formutually-exclusive control and/or configuration change events, thealternative ETAs may continue to be tracked. By tracking the alternativeETAs, the conflict logic 1132 may adjust prioritization of the ETAs whenchanges occur. For example, when the conflict logic 1132 prioritizesETAs based upon the closest ETA in time, ETA 804 may obtain priority.However, if the ETA 804 changes, making it further in time than ETA804′, the logic 1132 may dynamically change priority to ETA 804′.

In some embodiments, it may be beneficial to obtain a confidence levelprior to adjusting ETA prioritization. Accordingly, the logic 1132, insome embodiments, may retain a current priority until the prioritizationchange would result in a particular time interval difference for acontrol and/or configuration change. For example, prioritization of ETA804′ over ETA 804 may be implemented when a control or configurationchange would be impacted by a certain time interval (e.g., 10 minutes ormore).

Additionally or alternatively, the prioritization may be changed afteran ETA changed is confirmed by a particular number of sent ETAs. Forexample, the prioritization may remain fixed until ETA 804 is sent acertain number of times (e.g., 3 times) and each of the sent ETAsindicates that the ETA has indeed changed.

Further, the controller 802 may predict deviations from a particularprovided ETA 804 or 804′ which may be used in the control and/orconfiguration changes as well as the prioritization by the logic 1132.For example, in some embodiments, the controller 802 may notice that ETA804′ is consistently later than an actual arrival time. This can bediscerned by comparing the actual arrival time (e.g., as determinedbased upon occupancy sensors at the environment) with the ETA. When thecontroller 802 notices a pattern of deviation from an actual arrivaltime, the controller 802 may derive a modified ETA based upon theobserved deviation. Accordingly, in an example where ETA 804 is basedupon an assumption of traveling at a posted speed limit, a modified ETAmay be derived using particular observations of actual arrival time,which may impacted by any number of factors (e.g., whether the driver isa slow driver, a fast driver, etc.).

In some embodiments, tradeoffs between energy efficiency and comfort mayhelp to define a preconditioning window. FIGS. 32 and 33 illustrate suchan embodiment.

In the embodiment of FIG. 32, a comparison of the ETA information and anexpected temperature transition time (e.g., an amount of time to adjustan environment's temperature from a current temperature to a desiredtemperature) is used to automatically begin temperature adjustment, suchthat the home is at a desired temperature at the ETA of a client 182(e.g., a vehicle). Accordingly, the transition state of the temperatureadjustment may be completed prior to the client 182 operator enteringthe environment controlled by the device 10A. The process 1166 begins byobtaining an estimated time of arrival (“ETA”) (block 168). In oneembodiment, block 1168 may be triggered by setting a map applicationdestination (e.g. an in-car navigation system and/or Google MapApplication) to “home.” As mentioned above, the ETA may be provided byan application communicating directly and/or indirectly with the smartdevice(s). Further, a transition time to obtain a desired temperaturefrom a current ambient temperature is calculated (block 1170). Thetransition time is compared with the ETA (block 1172). Next, adetermination is made as to whether or not the transition time isgreater than or equal to the ETA (decision block 1174). In someembodiments, a time window may be defined based upon the transitiontime. For example, additional time (e.g., 0.5 hours, 1.5 hours, etc.)may be added to a transition time to ensure a desired temperature isreached prior to the vehicle's ETA. This will be described in moredetail with regards to FIG. 7.

If the transition time is less than the ETA, the process continues topoll for new ETA's from the application (or counts down until thetransition time is greater than or equal to the ETA). When thetransition time is equal to or greater than the ETA, the smart device(e.g., the thermostat 10A) may be controlled to begin the temperatureadjustment (e.g., cooling) (block 1176). Thus, by the time the vehiclearrives at the climate-controlled destination, the transition to thedesired temperature may be complete.

FIG. 33 illustrates a window creation operation for the ETA-basedtemperature adjustment. As illustrated in FIG. 33, there may betradeoffs associated with beginning temperature adjustment prior toarrival. For example, some users may prefer a guarantee that the desiredtemperature is reached prior to arrival. To do this, a relatively largewindow may be created that starts the temperature adjustment early.Alternatively, other users may wish to factor in energy savings, whichmay be achieved by using a relatively small window. Thus, to provideflexibility, a graphical user interface 180 (e.g., a slider) may enablea user to select between these competing tradeoffs. As illustrated, arelatively large window 1182 (here, Transition Time+a 1.5 hour buffer)is created to help ensure maximum comfort 1184 (e.g., ensure that thedesired temperature is reached prior to arrival). In contrast, arelatively small window 1186 (here, Transition Time+0.1 hours) to helpensure maximum efficiency 1188 (e.g., ensure that less energy is used).

As may be appreciated, ETA-based control and/or configuration of smartdevices allows pre-conditioning of an environment for arrival at theenvironment and/or arrival of an event. Accordingly, added comfortand/or efficiency may be obtained using ETA-based control and/orconfiguration.

Geography-Fencing Applications

In some embodiments, geography-fencing (geo-fencing) may be used ininteractions between the clients 182 and the smart devices and/or smartenvironments 10. Geo-fencing uses location-based boundaries to triggercertain interactions. For example, crossing a geo-fence boundary mayresult in triggering of a particular function of the smart device and/orenvironment 10. Below are examples of particular embodiments that mayuse geo-fencing in interactions between the clients 182 and the smartdevices and/or smart environments 10.

Vehicular Application

In some embodiments, a vehicular application (e.g., first application142 of FIG. 5) or other application may provide a location of thevehicle or other device to the smart devices (e.g., smart devices 10Aand/or 10B of FIG. 5). This information may be used to control the smartdevices (e.g., via geo-fencing). FIGS. 34-37 relate to such embodiments.FIG. 34 is a process 1190 for controlling smart devices via dataobtained from a vehicular application. FIG. 35 illustrates an example ofgeo-fencing boundaries 1200. FIG. 36 relates to a location-basedapplication on a smart phone (e.g., Google Now) and FIG. 37 relates to alocation-based application within a vehicle and other vehicular-basedAPI 90 use cases. These figures will be discussed together.

The process 1190 begins with obtaining a location of a vehicle (or otherstructure providing location information) (block 1192). As mentionedabove, this may be done by providing, for example,global-positioning-system (GPS) coordinates from the vehicularapplication to the smart devices (e.g., via one or more APIs). Next,geo-fence locations are determined (block 1194). As illustrated in FIG.36, one or more geo-fencing boundaries 1200 may define locations (e.g.,perimeters). Any number of boundaries of any shape or size may be usedto create geo-fences. Operation of the smart devices (e.g., 10A and/or10B) may be altered when the vehicle is located within and/ortransitions into one of the boundaries 1200 (block 1196).

For example, when leaving the home boundary 1200A, the vehicularapplication may automatically prompt the user to set the thermostat toan “AWAY” mode. As illustrated in FIG. 36, the location 1210 has moved1212 to the location 1210′ (e.g., from the home zone 1200A to outsidethe home zone 1200A). Based upon the location 1210′ and/or thetransition outside of the boundary 1200A, the prompt 1214 may beprovided. In the illustrated embodiment, the prompt 1214 is provided ona handheld device 1216 (e.g., a tablet computer, a programmable remotecontrol, and/or a cellular telephone).

In addition, the application (e.g., Google Now) on the handheld device1216 may display various information on one or more card visualizations.A card may refer to a panel of relevant information displayed, such aswhether a door or window is open in the home, the last person who cameto or left the home, the statuses of the smart devices in the home(e.g., operating state), and so forth.

Further, the handheld device 1216 may include an app (Google Maps) thatprovides navigational directions from one location to another. In someembodiments, if the user sets the destination on the app to “HOME”, theapp may use cloud services 145 to notify the thermostat 10A so the ETAmay be set and the thermostat 10A can pre-cool or pre-heat the home tothe preferred temperature by the time the user arrives.

FIG. 37 provides an illustration of vehicular application embodiments.For example, FIG. 37 illustrates an embodiment providing access and/orcontrol via an in-dash graphical user interface 1272 as well as anembodiment of using a vehicle on-board diagnostics system (e.g., OBD-II)dongle via the API 90.

Graphical User Interface

As illustrated, in the vehicular application embodiment, a prompt 270may be provided in a graphical user interface of the vehicle, here anin-dash graphical user interface 272.

In addition to the “AWAY” mode prompt, the vehicular application orother application may provide an automatic prompt suggesting to set oneor more of the smart devices (e.g., thermostat 10A) to “HOME” mode(e.g., not “AWAY”). For example, if the location were indicated as beingwithin boundary 1200A or a transition into boundary 1200A was detected(e.g., by transition from location 1210′ to location 1210), theapplication may automatically prompt to set one or more of the smartdevices to “HOME.”

In some embodiments, an application running on a mobile device orcomputer may maintain circles of authorized family members and/orfriends and enable tracking and/or viewing the location of the people inthe circle on a map. Using the location of the people in the circles andgeo-fencing, the smart devices may be controlled in certain ways. Forexample, when the first person in a desired circle (e.g., family circle)arrives in the home zone 1200A, a notification may be sent or pushed toa primary user to ask if the primary user desires to set the thermostat10A to the “HOME” mode. Likewise, when the last person in a desiredcircle (e.g., family circle) leaves the home zone 1200A, a notificationmay be sent or pushed to the primary user to ask if the primary userdesires to set the thermostat 10A to the “AWAY” mode.

In some embodiments, a vehicular application (e.g., an applicationrunning on the graphical user interface 1272) may allow manualconfiguration adjustments for smart devices. For example, the vehicularapplications may allow a user to manually set “HOME” and/or “AWAY” modeof a thermostat without having to physically access a separateapplication (e.g. a smart phone or tablet computer application) and/orwithout receiving a prompt to set the mode. In other words, the userwould not have to engage a graphical user interface of a smart phone ortablet, but could access configuration adjustments directly from thevehicular application (e.g. via the in-dash graphical user interface1272). Additionally, other configuration adjustments may be possible.For example, a temperature adjustment graphical user interface 1274 mayenable changes to the desired temperature of the thermostat 10A.

As mentioned above, one or more messages may be sent from the vehicularapplication to the smart devices, which may be interpreted by aprocessor to control the smart devices. Accordingly, when user inputs(e.g., temperature adjustments or mode change adjustments) are made atthe vehicular application, one or more control messages may be providedvia the API(s). These messages are interpreted and cause the relevantcontrol of the smart devices.

In some embodiments, energy consumption data may be provided from thevehicular application to the smart devices (or a cloud service 145associated with the smart devices). For example, gasoline and/orelectrical power usage 1276 may be provided to cloud services 145. Whenelectrical power usage 1276 is provided, the cloud services 145 mayprovide an optimal vehicle charging schedule based on utility costinformation known to the cloud services 145. For example, in somesituations, utility companies may provide cheaper energy at off-peaktimes. When the cloud services 145 determine that a future recharge ofthe vehicle may be needed, the cloud services 145 may provide arecharging schedule based upon these off-peak energy times.

Further, when the energy usage data is provided to the cloud services145, additional services may be provided. For example, the vehicularenergy consumption data may allow integration with energy conservationgames (e.g., Nest Leaf) available for other smart devices (e.g., thethermostat 10A). Accordingly, energy usage reports may provide not onlyenergy usage for smart devices within the home, but also energyconsumption of vehicles related to that home.

As mentioned above, device operation status 1156 and/or other data maybe provided from smart devices to applications (e.g., the vehicularapplication (first application 142)). Indeed, operational status ofthese smart devices (e.g., smoke and/or carbon monoxide detectors (e.g.,smart devices 10B) may be provided the vehicular application. Forexample, in the embodiment of FIG. 37, a status GUI 1278 provides anindication of the current operating status of a smoke detector and/orcarbon monoxide detector. In other examples, an alarm system status,ambient temperature, or any other operational and/or sensor data may beprovided for display within a vehicle. If a CO or smoke alarm isactivated by smart devices 10B, the alarm system status may be sent tothe vehicle(s), which may roll-down the windows in the vehicle, unlockthe doors in the vehicle, and/or stop charging the vehicle to preparethe vehicle for departure from the emergency situation detected at thestructure.

Onboard Diagnostics System Dongle

As illustrated in FIG. 37, a vehicle may be equipped with an onboarddiagnostics system 1280. The diagnostics system 1280 may, in someembodiments, be accessed using a dongle 1282 that electrically couplesto the diagnostics system 280. Via the diagnostics system 1280, thedongle 1282 may communicate (e.g., wirelessly) vehicular data to the API90. This communicated data may be provided for display and/or control ina smart environment 30.

For example, in one embodiment, data relating to the vehicle's ignitionstatus (e.g., “On” or “Off”) may be provided. When the car is off andwhen the vehicle is close to the environment 30 (e.g., as discerned viaGPS or other coordinates provided by vehicle system, by GPS or othercoordinates of the driver's smart-phone, and/or GPS or other coordinatesprovided by the diagnostics system 1280, etc.), the occupancy state ofthe environment 30 may be discerned as occupied (e.g. “home”). However,when the ignition is on and/or the vehicle is not near the environment,the occupancy state of the environment 30 may be discerned as unoccupied(e.g., “away”). As mentioned herein, the occupancy status may be used tocontrol smart-devices. For example, when “home,” lights may beactivated, a “home” thermostat 10A mode may be activated, etc. Further,when the occupancy status is un-occupied (e.g., “away”), lights may bedeactivated, a thermostat 10A's “away” mode may be activated, etc.

In some embodiments, coordinates provided by the dongle 1282 regardingthe vehicle's location may be used to monitor vehicle driving patternsand/or predict locations where the vehicle may be travelling. Forexample, geo-boundaries may be setup for particular points of interest(e.g., office, gym, home, etc.). Additionally, time boundaries may beset, which indicate a likelihood that particular points of interest willbe visited (e.g., 9:00 AM-5:00 PM, Monday-Friday may be a likely timeperiod to be at the office). Upon receiving a trigger event (e.g.,ignition switches from off to on), processing may occur to determine alikely location where the vehicle is travelling to. Environmentalcontrols may occur based upon these predictions. For example, anestimated time of arrival to the predicted destination may be providedto systems of the environment 30, which may result in pre-conditioningof the environment 30.

In some embodiments, transitioning ignition states may be used indetermining occupancy status. For example, transitioning from off to onduring a particular time of data (e.g. between 6 am and 10 amMonday-Friday) may indicate that an occupant is leaving for work and mayresult in discerning un-occupied status. Transitioning from on to offwhen the vehicle is near home and/or between 4 pm and 10 pm Mondaythrough Thursday may indicate that the occupant is returning home andthe occupancy status may change to occupied. Any number of variables maybe used in conjunction with these transitions. For example, as shownabove, time periods, vehicle locations, etc. may be used to inferoccupancy status and/or other characteristics.

In some embodiments, the dongle 1282 may receive data from systems ofthe environment 30. Upon receiving this data, the dongle 1282 mayprovide the data to the diagnostics system 1280, which may presentinformation based upon the data. For example, in some embodiments,detector 10B alarm data provided to the dongle 1282 may be presented onthe graphical user interface 1272. In some embodiments, the dongle 1282itself may provide an audible or visual indication of the data.

Vehicle Conditional Control

In some embodiments, a vehicle output may be a condition for athermostat 10A, smoke detector 10B, and/or video camera 72 output and/ora thermostat 10A, smoke detector 10B, and/or video camera 72 conditionmay be used for a vehicle output. FIG. 38 provides a relational controlbetween a vehicle 1285 and smart devices 10A and/or 10B and/or videocamera 72 using cloud services 145. In some embodiments, the vehicle1285 may be an electric vehicle.

In some embodiments, the vehicle 1285 may be pre-conditioned at acertain time, such as when the user goes to work, to a certaintemperature based on the user's preferred temperature obtained from thethermostat 10A. In some instances, the vehicle 1285 may still be pluggedin and charging when pre-cooling is initiated. Further, the temperaturesetting of the vehicle 1285 may be matched to the temperature setpointpreference of the home when the smart device 10A switches to “AWAY”mode.

In one embodiment, during a Rush Hour Rewards event, the vehicle 1285may not charge to save energy. Also, if the smart devices 10A and/or 10Benter the “AWAY” mode and the vehicle 1285 is near the structure, thevehicle 1285 may lock its doors. Further, in some embodiments, a livefeed from the video camera 72 may be streamed into the vehicle 1285 asdesired.

In addition, in some embodiments, an app installed on computer systemincluded in the vehicle 1285 may detect certain conditions in thevehicle 1285 and send messages to the smart devices 10A/10B and/or smartvideo camera 72 in response. For example, shifting the car from park todrive or reverse while the vehicle 1285 is parked near the home maycause the smart devices 10A/10B to enter the “AWAY” mode, which maychange the temperature setpoint on the thermostat 10A.

Also, in some embodiments, as the user is driving home, the cabintemperature of the vehicle 1285 may be used to set the temperaturesetpoint of the thermostat 10A based on a geo-location of the vehicle1285. for example, the cabin setpoint in the vehicle 1285, actual cabintemperature, and/or a “feels like” temperature (relationship between“feels like” in car and “feels like” in the home) may be sent to thesmart thermostat 10A and used as the setpoint for when the user arriveshome. Using the geo-location and ETA as described above, the thermostat10A may pre-cool or pre-heat so the actual temperature in the home isclose to the setpoint set using the information from the vehicle 1285.

In certain embodiments, the vehicle 1285's micro-location may be used totrigger certain events. For example, when the vehicle 1285's locationindicates that the vehicle is approaching the garage, the garage doormay be opened automatically. Further, the front door may remainedlocked, while the door between the garage and environment 10D may beunlocked.

In one embodiment, when the user has time of use rates, the smartdevices 10A/10B may access a value charging database to automaticallyadjust the cooling strategy to minimize electricity costs. In addition,in some embodiments smart environment load control may be used to allowonly one high load appliance to operate at a time (e.g., vehiclecharging or the HVAC operating) to minimize the negative impacts on thelocal transformer and grid. Also, a model may be implemented to allowfor transformer cooling. Neighbors that use the thermostat 10A and ownan electric vehicle may employ the disclosed techniques to reduce strainon the transformer and grid.

In certain embodiments, the electric vehicle 1285 may only charge when acertain percentage of green energy has been stored by solar panelsinstalled on a user's home. Likewise, in some embodiments, thethermostat 10A may only operate the HVAC when a certain percentage ofgreen energy to maximize the amount of green energy used.

Home Appliances, Fixtures, and Automation Systems

In addition to mobility-based interactions, home appliance and/or homefixture data may interact with the smart devices and/or smartenvironments 10. For example, clients 182 (e.g., client electronicdevices, such as a cellular phone, global positioning system, etc.) mayinclude home appliances, fixtures and/or automation systems thatinteract with the smart devices and/or smart environments 10. Thefollowing embodiments relate to such interactions.

Automation System Interaction

As the number of smart devices increase, an increasing number of smartdevice platforms have become available. As illustrated in FIG. 39, whichillustrates a system 1314 running one or more home automation platforms1316, these platforms may communicate with smart devices (e.g.,thermostat 10A, detector 10B, and/or other devices 10C) to control thesedevices and/or to receive condition data for controlling other devices.Utilizing the cloud 145 (e.g., an API 90 of the cloud 145), the homeautomation platforms 1316 may provide control signals 1318 to one ormore smart devices (e.g., thermostat 10A, protector 10B, and/or otherdevices 10C of the environment 30). The control signals 1318 may causeoperational changes in the smart devices. For example, the controlsignals 1318 may increase a target HVAC temperature (e.g., by changing(reducing and/or increasing) the thermostat 10A's target temperature).Further, heating and/or cooling modes, fan activation, deactivation,and/or speeds and/or occupancy status modes (e.g., “HOME” and/or “AWAY”)may be modified via control signals 1318. Further, the home automationplatforms 1316 may be provided control signals affecting changes in theenvironment 30 containing smart devices. For example, an occupancy state(e.g., “HOME” and/or “AWAY”) may be changed using control signals 1318.

The smart devices (e.g., thermostat 10A, detector 10B, and/or otherdevices 10C) may provide data 1319 to the home automation platforms1316. This data 319 may be presented in a graphical user interface (GUI)provided by the platforms 1316 and/or may be used in conditional rulesfor controlling other devices, as determined via the home automationplatforms 1316. Specifically, in some embodiments, data 1319 relating tothe thermostat 10A may include whether the thermostat 10A is online oroffline (e.g., is connected to a home network), the current targettemperature of the thermostat 10A (e.g., the temperature to reach in theenvironment 30 by HVAC conditioning), a current ambient temperaturedetermined from the thermostat 10A, a fan status (e.g., either active orinactive), an HVAC mode (e.g., “heating”, “cooling”, and/or “heating andcooling”, and/or a name associated with the thermostat 10A (e.g.,“Downstairs thermostat”). It should be noted that the thermostat 10A maydirectly interface with sophisticated HVAC equipment capable ofmodulating between more than just “heating” or “cooling” settings byproviding variable speeds and the like. Using the thermostat 10A coupledto and interfacing with the sophisticated HVAC equipment may enable moreefficient temperature control. Further, the data 1319 relating to theenvironment 30 may indicate a current occupancy state of the environment30 (e.g., “HOME” and/or “AWAY”) and/or a name associated with theenvironment 30 (e.g., “Vacation Home”).

Some automation systems may control lights, window shades, fans, and/orother smart environment 10D fixtures. Based on data received from theAPI(s) interfacing with the smart devices 10A and 10B, these automationsystems may activate and/or deactivate certain lights, raise and/orlower certain window shades, and/or activate and/or deactivate fans.FIG. 40 illustrates one such automation system 1320.

As depicted, the system 1320 may include smart lights 1322, smart fan1324, smart window shades 1326, and smart devices 10A and 10B. However,any smart device previously discussed in the smart environment 30 may becontrolled by the automation system 1320. The devices and/or smartenvironment 10 of the automation system 320 may be communicably coupleddirectly to each other or indirectly (e.g., via cloud services 145).

Data regarding the smart devices and/or smart environment 10 may impactthe client devices 182 or vis-versa. For example, in some embodiments,when the smart devices 10A and 10B enter the “AWAY” mode or “AUTO-AWAY”mode, a condition may cause the smart window shades 1326 to lower. Also,when the smart devices 10A and 10B enter the “HOME” mode, a conditionmay cause the smart window shades 1326 to rise. In addition, the smartlights 1322 may be deactivated as a condition of the smart devices 10Aand 10B entering the “AWAY” mode and be activated as a condition of thesmart devices 10A and 10B entering the “HOME” mode.

In some embodiments, when a thermostat 10A (or other device) is in“AWAY” mode or “AUTO-AWAY” mode, it may be desirable to simulateoccupancy of the smart environment. Accordingly, the window shades 1326may be raised, lowered, opened, and/or closed at certain intervals(e.g., raised in the morning, lowered at night, and/or randomly raisedand/or lowered), to simulate occupancy. In certain embodiments, a motionsensor, e.g., from a smart light bulb and/or motion detection by acamera 72, may indicate motion outside the smart environment. Windowsshades 1326 near the motion may be raised, lowered, opened and/or closedto simulate occupancy to persons causing the motion event. Further, aswill be discussed herein, audio systems, lighting systems, etc. may beused to simulate occupancy.

In some embodiments, unauthorized intrusions into the environment 30 mayalso be hindered by the shades 1326. For example, in embodiments wherethe shades 1326 are light-blocking shades, an unauthorized intrusion(e.g., as indicated to the cloud services 145 from an alarm system) maybe hindered by raising all light-blocking shades during the unauthorizedintrusion. Accordingly, authorities, such as police officers, etc.and/or others may be able to have better visibility into smartenvironment, such that the intruders may be observed within theenvironment. Additionally and/or alternatively, when the shades 326 aresecurity shades meant to block access into and/or out of theenvironment, the shades 326 may be lowered and/or closed during thedetected unauthorized intrusion event.

In addition, when the smoke detector 10B detects an alarm condition(e.g., smoke present), the smart window shades 1326 may be raised andthe lights 1322 may be activated.

During a Rush Hour Rewards event, the automation system 1320 mayinitiate an energy savings mode by deactivating the smart lights 1322,lowering the smart window shades 1326, and activating the smart fan1324. Further, all smart devices controlled by the automation system1320 may enter energy savings modes during the Rush Hour Rewards event.

Additionally, mobile devices 1328 and/or applications that have accessto and control of the automation system 1320 may change the thermostat10A settings (mode, temperature) and change the settings of the smartdevices 10A and 10B to either “AWAY” or “HOME” mode. The user may adjustthe thermostat 10A with the mobile devices 1328 remotely from thestructure in which the thermostat 10A is located over a wireless orwired communication network. In some embodiments, the mobile devices1328 may include a smart phone, tablet, laptop, remote controller,computer, vehicle based computer system, and so forth. In someembodiments, the user may set the temperature on the thermostat 10A fora particular scene or “recipe” in combination with a setting of thesmart lights 1322, the smart shades 1326, and/or the smart fan 1324. Allenergy used by the smart devices controlled by the automation system1320 may be sent to the central server 64 for reporting.

The API(s) may enable other automation systems to interact with thesmart devices 10A and/or 10B. For example, an automation system may usethe API(s) to view temperatures of the thermostat 10A, increase/decreasetemperatures of the thermostat 10A, view humidity, may receive alarmstates or other device operation status 156 from the thermostat 10Aand/or detector 10B, set modes of operation (e.g., “heat,” “cool,”“HOME,” and/or “AWAY” on the thermostat 10A and/or detectors 10B, etc.),and/or activate/deactivate a fan. The automation system may also enableviewing the alarm state (e.g., whether there is an emergency or not) ofthe detectors 10B. In some embodiments, the automation system may usethe alarm state obtained from the detectors 10B to create “recipes”.Recipes may refer to a combination of controls executed by smart devicesbased on a trigger condition. For example, one recipe may includeturning off speakers of a sound system when the alarm state of thedetectors 10B indicates there is an emergency. Further, another recipeto execute when the detectors 10B enter an alarm state may includeunlocking the doors of the home, blinking the lights in the home anysuitable color (e.g., red) to light a path to the exit, alerting thecivil services via a smart phone, flashing the external lights, playalarm through an audio system, and/or alert the neighbors using socialmedia.

In some embodiments the automation system may be controlled via auniversal remote controller that enables controlling the thermostat 10A,detectors 10B, fans, lights, shades, appliances, speakers, key systems,garage doors, and so forth. The universal remote controller may be anelectronic device (mobile device, tablet, etc.) with a touch-screen thatmay be handheld, disposed on a wall or a surface, and so forth. Theuniversal remote controller may enable controlling all of the smartdevices in the automation system from one central location. Theuniversal remote controller may accept voice commands, set reminders,wake the user up on time, and/or fetch live internet content (e.g.,weather, stocks, and news) that is relevant to the user.

In some embodiments, the user may speak to the universal remotecontroller to: set the temperature of the thermostat 10A, change HVACmode, and set fan. Some examples of specific voice commands may include“setting the bedroom thermostat to XX degrees”, “make the temperature 1degree warmer”, “make the temperature hotter”, “make the bedroom 2degrees cooler”, “set the thermostat to XX degrees”. The user may alsospeak to the universal remote controller to set a preferred sleep andwake temperature on the thermostat 10A. The universal remote controllermay emit feedback after it performs the requested action. For example,the user may say “listen to my baby's bedroom” and the universal remotecontroller may reply “activating microphone in baby's bedroom” and thencommence to send notifications when a loud noise is detected in thebaby's bedroom.

In some embodiments, the universal remote controller may receivequestions asked by the user, process the questions, and emit an answerusing one or more speakers. For example, the user may ask the universalremote controller “what's the current temperature in the bedroom?”,“what's the current temperature of the thermostat?”, and the universalremote controller may emit the answer by looking up the informationabout the thermostat 10A using cloud services 145 and/or API(s) 90.

Further, the universal remote controller may announce the start and endtimes for a Rush Hour Rewards event (obtained from the smart devices 10Aand/or 10B and/or central server 64) to encourage the user to conserveenergy. In addition, the universal remote controller may project audiogreetings in certain scenarios. For example, when the smart devices 10Aand/or 10B switch to the “HOME” mode, the universal remote controllermay greet the user. Also, when the detectors 10B enter an alarm state,the universal remote controller may project notifications and/or analarm from its speakers. In some embodiments, where a video camera ismounted to a front door of a house, the user may speak to a visitor viathe universal remote controller microphone/speaker.

Additionally, in some embodiments, the remote controller (or othercomponent of the system) may implement a status change upon certainevents. For example, the remote controller (or other component of thesystem) may reduce volume of a television, audio/video receiver, speakersystem, etc. upon detection of a higher priority audible event. Forexample, in certain embodiments, hazard alarms provided by the hazarddetector 10B may take priority over entertainment. Accordingly, when thesystem becomes aware of active hazard detector 10B alarms, the remotecontroller may reduce the volume of other audible devices, to aide inthe perception of the active hazard detector 10B alarms.

In some embodiments, system 1314 may use the one or more home automationplatforms 1316 to integrate functions of an alarm clock with functionsof other devices in the smart environment 10D. For example, the system1314 may obtain, via the cloud services 145, certain data pertaining todevices in the smart environment 10D, such as motion, active alarms,occupancy status, Rush Hour Rewards periods, etc.

When the system 1314 may become aware of motion from one or more cameras72, the system 1314 may provide a notification to a smart environment10D occupant via a speaker of the alarm clock. Further, an audio feedfrom the camera 72 detecting the motion may be provided at the alarmclock.

When the system 1314 becomes aware of alarms (e.g., hazard alarmstriggered by the hazard detector 10B), the system 1314 may present thealarms at the alarm clock. For example, the alarm clock may subscribe toalarm status of the hazard protectors 10B and may provide an alarm whenthe alarm status is active. Alternatively, in some embodiments, a recipeof the system 1314 may take control of the audio in the alarm clock upondiscerning the active alarm, in essence pushing the active alarm to thealarm clock.

In some embodiments, the alarm clock status may impact other smartdevices 10 in the smart environment 10D. For example, sleep modes of thealarm clock and wake times of the alarm clock may be provided to thesystem 1314, where they are used to activate sleep and/or waketemperatures of the thermostat 10A. Conversely, sleep and wake timesdiscerned by the thermostat 10A and/or other smart devices may be usedto automatically set alarms and/or sleep modes of the alarm clock orprovide a prompt to automatically set alarms and/or sleep modes.

In some embodiments, the system 1314 may obtain occupancy informationbased on data from one or more smart devices in the smart environment10D. The system 1314 may cause the alarm clock to greet an occupant asthey arrive at the smart environment 10D.

Additionally, in some embodiments, the system may become aware of anenergy saving period (e.g., a Rush Hour Rewards event). The system maycause the alarm clock to announce the energy saving period, such thatthe occupants are aware of the energy saving period.

In some embodiments, the system 1314 may become aware that the userusually arrives at home at a certain time based on the smart deviceschanging mode to “HOME” from “AWAY” and/or from other data (e.g., datareceived via video camera 72, among other things). Further, the system1314 may determine that the user prefers watching a certain televisionshow when the user arrives home. Using this information, the system 1314may notify the user that his or her show is about to start when thesystem determines that the user is not going to be at home at thescheduled air time of the show. In some embodiments, the system 1314 mayask the user if the user desires the system to set the DVR to record theshow or the system 1314 may automatically set the DVR to record theshow. Also, in some embodiments, the system 1314 may access an ETA todetermine whether the user will be home in time for the show. If not,the system 1314 may notify the user that he or she will miss thebeginning of the show and/or automatically start recording the show.

Appliance and Fixture Interaction

In some embodiments, environment appliances may interact with the smartdevices and/or smart environment 10 (e.g., via the cloud services 145)without facilitation from an automation system. FIG. 41 illustrates sucha system 1370 that links data (e.g., conditions and outputs) betweenwashers 1372, dryers 1374, ovens 1378, refrigerators 1379, wall airconditioners 70, etc. and thermostats 10A, detectors 10B, and/or otherdevices 10C.

Certain appliances may include features that are beneficial insituations where there is delayed user involvement. For example, thewashing machine 1372 may include a system to maintain unattendedlaundry. When laundry left unattended in the washing machine 1372, a fanmay periodically pull moisture from the drum of the washing machine 1372and also periodically tumble the unattended laundry. Similarly, thedryer 1374 may include an unattended laundry system that intermittentlytumbles unattended laundry after a dryer cycle.

Household Appliances

Typically, these unattended laundry systems are activated manually viaan onboard interface of the washing machine 1372. However, under certainscenarios, this system may be activated automatically, using occupancystatus discerned from the smart devices 10A, 10B, and/or 10C.

For example, the thermostat 10A is set to “AWAY” when the thermostatdetects an indication that no one is in the temperature-controlledenvironment. Further, when the detectors 10B are equipped with occupancysensors, similar household occupancy status may be defined. The statusfrom the detectors 10B may be provided to the thermostat 10A, which inturn may automatically be set to “AWAY.” Further, thermostat 10A usersmay manually set the thermostat to “AWAY,” upon leaving the house.

In any of these cases, when an indication that no occupants are presentis discerned, the away status may be provided to a service (e.g.,service of the washer 1372, dryer 1374, cloud service 145, conditionservice 1376 (e.g., a website that provides graphical conditional rulegeneration), etc.), which may use the status as a condition foractivating the unattended laundry systems and/or a smart automaticvacuum cleaner. Accordingly, the laundry systems and/or vacuums mayclean while no occupants are in the environment 10D. In this way, theuser may return to an environment (e.g., home or building) where thefloors are clean, while the vacuum does not get in their way byoperating when the user is present in the environment.

In some embodiments, when the occupancy status is set to “AWAY” for morethan a threshold period of time (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 days), theservice may prompt the user via the mobile device to confirm whether theuser desires to place the smart devices (e.g., thermostat 10A, detectors10B, appliances) into a eco-friendly mode, such as a “vacation” modethat saves energy.

When the washing machine 1372 and/or the dryer 1374 are running a cycleand the respective unattended laundry systems are not enabled, theservice may provide a washer 1372 and/or dryer 1374 command to activatethe respective unattended laundry system. Thus, the laundry will remainfresh and/or wrinkle free, despite the operator leaving the laundryunattended and not manually activating the unattended laundry systems.

In some embodiments, when the away status is provided to the service(e.g., service of the washer 1372, service of the dryer 1374, service ofthe oven 1378, service of the refrigerator 1379, cloud service 145,condition service 1376), the service may use the status as a conditionfor activating or deactivating certain other features of the appliances.

For example, when the thermostat 10A and/or smoke detector 10B enter the“AWAY” mode, an energy savings mode may be activated by the refrigerator1379 and when the devices 10A and 10B enter the “HOME” mode, therefrigerator 1379 may deactivate the energy savings mode.

In addition, when the thermostat 10A and/or smoke detector 10B enter the“AWAY” mode, the user may monitor the status of the oven 1378 (e.g.,temperature, cook time remaining, etc.) via an application on a portablecomputing device (e.g., smart phone, laptop, computer), computer systeminstalled in a vehicle, or the like. In some embodiments, automatic ovennotifications may be enabled when the thermostat 10A and/or smokedetector 10B enter the “AWAY” mode so that the user can receive alertsrelated to certain events, such as the oven over-heating, the oven beingon when the user is not at home, current temperature of the oven, cooktime remaining, and/or a detected gas leak. Further, when the smartdevices 10A/10B enter the “AWAY” mode, the oven 1378 and/or otherappliances may enter a “vacation mode” to save energy. The user may usethe app on their mobile device to turn the oven on and off. In addition,if the user changes the temperature scale of the thermostat 10A (e.g.,from F to C), then the oven temperature scale may be automaticallychanged to match.

Additionally, when the thermostat 10A and/or smoke detector 10B enterthe “AWAY” or “AUTO-AWAY” mode, the washer 1372 may automaticallyactivate washer 1372 status notifications in an application installed ona portable computing device (e.g., smart phone, laptop, computer),computer system installed in a vehicle, or the like. Likewise, when thethermostat 10A and/or smoke detector 10B enter the “AWAY” or “AUTO-AWAY”mode, the dryer 1374 may automatically activate washer 1374 statusnotifications in an application installed on a portable computing device(e.g., smart phone, laptop, computer), computer system installed in avehicle, or the like. The status notifications may provide informationrelated to whether the washer 1372 and/or dryer 1374 are activated, thestage of a cycle currently activated, the amount of time left in acycle, whether the unattended laundry systems are activated, whether thedoor is open, amount of energy being used, and the like.

Also, the wall air conditioner appliance 70 may be controlled by the“AWAY” status from the service (e.g., wall air conditioner appliance 70service, cloud services 145, condition service 1376). For example, whenthe thermostat 10A enters the “AWAY” or “AUTO-AWAY” mode, the wall airconditioner appliance 70 may deactivate. When the thermostat 10A entersthe “HOME” mode, the wall air conditioner appliance 70 may activate.

Further, some dryers 1374 may be equipped with an economy boost optionthat may place the dryer in a more time-consuming but energy-consumingstate. When no occupancy is indicated or detected (e.g., by thethermostat 10A entering an “AWAY” mode), the service may provide acommand for the dryer 1374 to enter the economy boost option. When thesmart devices 10A/10B enter the “HOME” mode, the unattended laundrysystems and/or the economy boost option may remain activated. Also, whenthe smart devices 10A/10B are in the “HOME” mode, the service mayprovide a command for the washer 1372 and/or dryer 1374 to enter a quietmode.

As mentioned above, certain utility providers offer lower energy ratesduring off-peak hours of operation. Rush Hour Rewards, by Nest, providesincentives to consumers to use less energy during peak usage times.Users enrolled in the Rush Hour Rewards receive periodic peak energyusage events defining a peak usage time when energy consumption shouldbe avoided to obtain a reward from the cloud services 145. When the RushHour Reward event occurs, the washer 1372, dryer 1374, and/or dishwasher1380 receives the peak event signal from the cloud services 147 andcalculates the peak start time and duration. The peak start time isadjusted by a default cycle length for the washer 1372 and/or dryer 1374to ensure that a consumer does not inadvertently start a cycle justbefore the event is to begin. For example, if a washing machine 1372,dryer 1374, and/or dishwasher 1380 cycle is typically 30 minutes, thepeak start time is adjusted by 30 minutes, to ensure that the washer1372, the dryer 1374 and/or dishwasher 1380 is not active during thepeak event.

In one example, a Rush Hour peak event may begin at 2:00 pm and last for4 hours. With a default cycle time of 30 minutes, the washer 1372, dryer1374, and/or dishwasher 1380 adjusts the peak event start to 1:30 pm andends the event at 6:00 pm (4 hour and 30 minute duration). Theseadjustments to the Rush Hour peak event help to ensure that the washer1372, dryer 1374, and/or dishwasher 1380 is not in operation during thepeak event.

Once a new peak event start time and duration is calculated, the servicemay send a command to the washer 1372 and/or dryer 1374 and/ordishwasher 1380 to enter a Smart Delay. When in Smart Delay, the washer1372 and/or dryer 1374 and/or dishwasher 1380 will inform the consumerthat a peak event is in process and that a more energy friendly time torun the cycle is approaching. The consumer may provide an input to allowthe washer 1372, dryer 1374 and/or dishwasher 1380 to automaticallystart when the event is complete, or the consumer may override the SmartDelay and start the cycle immediately.

When the washer 1372, dryer 1374 and/or dishwasher 1380 receive the peakevent signal 30 minutes or less from the start of the event, the servicesends a command for the washer 1372 and/or dryer 1374 and/or dishwasher1380 to enter a deep power reduction mode. Accordingly, if the washer1372 and/or dryer 1374 and/or dishwasher 1380 is in operation prior toreceiving the peak event, the washer 1372 and/or dryer 1374 and/ordishwasher 1380 will reduce power usage for a brief period of time.Further, the dryer will also enter economy boost for the remainder ofthe cycle. If not running a cycle, the washer 1372 and/or dryer 1374and/or dishwasher 1380 will enter Smart Delay. When the Rush Hour peakevent has concluded, the washer 1372 and/or dryer 1374 and/or dishwasher1380 return to normal operation. Also, during a Rush Hour Reward event,the dishwasher 1380, washer 1372, and any other suitable appliance mayreduce the amount of hot water flow.

In addition, when the Rush Hour Reward event occurs, a service (e.g., aservice of the washer 1372, a service of the dryer 1374, the cloudservices 145, the condition service 1376, or the like) may cause awarning to be sent to the user if the user attempts to start a cycleduring the Rush Hour Reward event. In some embodiments, the warning maybe sent to the application the user used to attempt to start the washer1372 and/or the dryer 1374 during the Rush Hour Reward event. Theapplication may be located on a portable computing device (e.g., smartphone, laptop, computer, etc.), a browser, a computer system installedin a vehicle, or the like. Also, during the Rush Hour Reward event, therefrigerator 1379 may enter an eco-mode to conserve energy. Further,during the Rush Hour Reward event, the wall air conditioner appliance 70may activate an energy savings mode.

In a similar fashion, some environments 30 may be equipped with aphotovoltaic cell (e.g., solar panel) 1382. Energy capture data 1384 maybe provided to the cloud 145, which may be used to discern if there willbe enough generated energy from the cell 1382 to run one or more of theappliances (e.g., the oven 1378 and/or the dishwasher 1380). To makethis discernment, weather information (e.g., obtained via the thermostat10A or another source) may be used to determine if the sun will beshining for a long enough time period to generate enough energy to runthe appliance. If enough energy will be generated within a certain timeperiod, the system 1370 may delay operation of the appliance untilenough energy is generated. If, however, not enough energy will begenerated in the certain time period, operation of the appliance maycommence, using an alternative energy source (e.g., from the electricgrid).

To further encourage energy efficiency, energy usage of the washer 1372and/or dryer 1374 (e.g., kilowatt hour (kHW) utilization information),along with any of the other devices and/or services described herein maybe accumulated by the cloud services 145. For example, Nest mayaccumulate the energy usage of lighting, external automation systems,etc. to include this information in energy utilization reports. Further,the energy consumption may be incorporated in energy conservationinformation and/or games, such as Nest Leaf. In addition, water usage bythe washer 1372 and/or any other appliance may be sent to the cloudservices 145 for any suitable use, such as reporting and/or analysis.

In some embodiments, data from the thermostat 10A, the detectors 10B,and/or other devices 10C may be used as conditions for controlling thewasher 1372, dryer 1374, the stove-top/oven 1378, dishwasher 1380, smartvacuum 1381, and/or other appliances. For example, when the detectors10B detect smoke and/or gas, certain functionalities of the washer 1372,dryer 1374, a stove-top/oven 1378, smart vacuum 1381, and/or dishwasher1380 may be disabled. For example, gas access may be disabled at aburner on the stove-top/oven 1378 and/or the smart vacuum 1381 and/orany movement-enabled robot may be shut down wherever it is located as toinhibit the vacuum 1381 from getting in the way of a user that is tryingto exit the building. In another example, the smart vacuum and/or anymovement-enabled robot may be controlled to drive to the nearest wall orcorner of a room or drive underneath a table or couch to remove itselffrom any walkways to clear a path for a user to exit the environmentduring an emergency detected by the detector 10B.

Further, visual and/or audible indicators of these appliances may beused to alert occupants to the detected smoke and/or gas. For example,lights on these appliances may blink and/or speakers of these devicesmay beep. Additionally and/or alternatively, the appliances may becontrolled to stabilize the environment 30. For example, upon detectingemergency situations, the appliances (e.g., oven 1378 fans, vents, etc.)may be activated and/or deactivated in order to push and/or pull airfrom one location to another. Any appliances or robots in theenvironment 30, such as the smart vacuum 1381, which include cameras,may be operated to point their cameras at the emergency so that a usercan remotely view what the emergency is. In some embodiments, the smartvacuum or camera-enabled robot may be driven near the emergency so thecamera can obtain a clear vantage point of the emergency with itscamera.

In one embodiment, data accumulated in the environment 30 may be used todiscern that occupants are either leaving the environment 30 and/or aregoing to bed. For example, when a thermostat 10A is placed into “AWAY”mode, this may indicate that an occupant has left the environment 30.Additionally, when relatively little activity is detected via sensors ofthe thermostat 10A and/or detector 10B, this may indicate that occupantsare in bed or have left the environment 30.

Upon discerning such an activity, when an appliance (e.g., oven 1378) isleft on, the system may notify the occupant that the appliance is stillactive. For example, the system may provide a notification and/or promptfor acknowledgement that the appliance is still on at the occupant'ssmart phone, via the detector 10B, etc. In embodiments where theoccupant is prompted to acknowledge that the appliance is still active,when the occupant does not provide an acknowledgement within apre-determined time period (e.g. 10 minutes, etc.), the appliance mayautomatically be deactivated by the system, depending on safety settingsof the system. However, when the occupant does provide anacknowledgement, the appliance may be left in an active state. In someembodiments, the occupant may provide a particular amount of time beforeproviding a subsequent prompt. For example, the occupant may acknowledgethe active appliance, providing an indication that the occupant will beback in 10 minutes.

In some embodiments, when it is discerned that an occupant is going tobed and/or is leaving the environment 30, the dishwasher 1380 may beactivated. This may result in the dishwasher running when it will likelynot be heard by the occupants (e.g., because they are away or aresleeping).

In some embodiments, data from the washer 1372, dryer 1374, astove-top/oven 1378, dishwasher 1380, and/or other appliances may beused as conditions for controlling the thermostat 10A, the detectors10B, other devices 10C and/or structures 30. For example, when anoccupant manually activates the washer 1372, dryer 1374, astove-top/oven 1378, the dishwasher 1380, and/or other appliances, itmay be clear that the environment 30 is occupied. Accordingly, if thestructure 30 and/or thermostat 10A are set to “AWAY,” their occupancystatus may be changed to “HOME.” Additionally, when hot water is drawnby the washer 1372, dishwasher 1380 and/or any other suitable appliance,the occupancy status may be set to “HOME.”

In some embodiments, a target oven 1378 temperature may be used toadjust a thermostat 10A temperature. For example, the system 1370 maybecome aware of a correlation between a rising ambient environmenttemperature and target oven 1378 temperatures. The target thermostat 10Atemperature may be adjusted downward to counteract the effects of theoven 1378 temperature on the ambient environment 30 temperature.Additionally, the temperature setpoint of the thermostat 10A may beadjusted based on the status of the oven 1378. For example, if thestatus of the oven 1378 is “ON,” then the target thermostat 10Atemperature may be adjusted downward to counteract the effects of theoven 1378 temperature on the ambient environment 30 temperature.Additionally, the temperature setpoint of the thermostat 10A may beadjusted based on the status of the oven 1378. For example, if thestatus of the oven 1378 is “ON,” then the target thermostat 10Atemperature may be adjusted downward to counteract the effects of theoven 1378 temperature on the ambient environment 30 temperature.

Environmental Control Devices

In some embodiments, smart ceiling fan 1442, smart vent 1443, and/orother environmental control devices 1445 (portable fans, air purifier,humidifier, air fresheners, heaters, etc.) data (e.g., conditions) maybe used to affect changes in a thermostat 10A, detector 10B, and/orother smart device 10C and/or a thermostat 10A, detector 10B, and/orother smart device 10C data (e.g., conditions) may be used to affectchanges in the smart ceiling fan 1442, smart vent 1443, and/or otherenvironmental control devices 1445. FIG. 42 provides an illustration ofa system 1440 providing relational control between various environmentalcontrol devices, such as a smart ceiling fan 1442, a smart vent 1443, ascent-providing device 1446, color changing lights 1448, and/or otherenvironmental control devices 1445 in a smart-device enabled environment30.

In some embodiments, the fan 1442 and/or the other environmental controldevices 1445 may be controlled based upon other device data. In oneembodiment, when the thermostat 10A is in a heating mode, the smartceiling fan 1442 may be automatically controlled (e.g., by theenvironment 30) to reverse rotation and/or enter a heat destratificationmode. Heat stratification occurs because warm air from a heater tends torise to the ceiling. Using a destratification mode, the rotational speedof the fan 1442 may be reduced, pushing the air off of the ceilingwithout creating a draft.

Further, when the thermostat 10A is in a heating mode, the otherenvironmental control devices 1445, may be automatically controlled(e.g., by the environment 30) to enter a corresponding state. Forexample, an air purifier, a heater, a humidifier, an air freshener(e.g., scent-providing device 1446), and/or a portable fan, may enter astate that corresponds to the heating mode of the thermostats 10A.Likewise, when the thermostat 10A is in a cooling mode, the fan 1442,the smart vent 114, the scent-providing device 1446, lights 1448, and/orthe other environmental control devices 1445 may be automaticallycontrolled to enter a corresponding state. For example, when thethermostat 10A enters a cooling mode, the portable fan, air purifier, orthe like may turn on a respective fan. Also, when the thermostat 10Aturns on a fan of the HVAC, the fan 1442 and/or the other environmentalcontrol devices 1445 may also turn on a fan. Additionally, when thethermostat 10A is in a particular mode (e.g., cooling or heating), thevents 1443 may be automatically actuated to a certain angle to controlairflow. Further, if the user manually adjusts the angle of the vents1443, the vents 1443 may communicate the state of the vents 1443 to thethermostat 10A, which may adjust the temperature control for the roomincluding the adjusted vents 1443 accordingly (e.g., set temperaturecooler or warmer).

Also, the fan 1442, the vents 1443, and/or the other environmentalcontrol devices 1445 may be controlled based upon a “HOME” or “AWAY”mode status of the smart devices 10A, 10B, and/or 10C. That is, the fan1442, the vents 1443, and/or the other environmental control devices1445 may be synchronized with the occupancy status of the smart devices10A, 10B, and/or 10C. For example, when the smart devices 10A, 10B,and/or 10C are in the “HOME” mode, the fan 1442 and/or the otherenvironmental control devices 1445 may be turned on (e.g., turn on fan,emit air freshener, turn on heater, purify air, humidify air, etc.) oroff depending on the preferences of the user. Additionally, when thesmart devices 10A, 10B, and/or 10C are in the “HOME” mode, the vents1443 may actuate to a particular angle to control a location of airflowinto particular rooms and/or to control the temperature of the room.Likewise, when the smart devices 10A, 10B, and/or 10C enter the “AWAY”mode, the fan 1442 and/or the other environmental control devices 1445may be turned off or on depending on the preferences of the user. Forexample, it may be useful to turn such devices off when in “AWAY” mode,as energy can be saved, by not conditioning an unoccupied environment30. Additionally, when the smart devices 10A, 10B, and/or 10C are in the“AWAY” mode, the vents 1443 may be actuated to a certain angle tocontrol airflow into particular rooms to control the temperature of theroom. Thus, in this way, occupancy data obtained from the smart devices10A, 10B, and/or 10C may be used to control the fan 1442 and/or theother environmental control devices 1445.

In some embodiments, the ETA variable of the smart devices (e.g., thethermostat 10A, the detectors 10B, and/or other smart devices 10C) maybe used to control the fan 1442, the vents 1443, and/or the otherenvironmental control devices 1445. For example, when the ETA is set,the smart devices 10A, 10B, and/or 10C may provide (e.g., via the cloudservices 145) the information to the fan 1442 and/or the otherenvironmental control devices 1445, which may turn on a fan or turn offa fan, freshen the air, purify the air, humidify the air, or the like sothat the air is at a user preferred condition by the time the userarrives at the building. Also, the vents 1443 may actuate to a certainangle to allow more airflow into the room and/or to cool the room fasterbased on the ETA. Alternatively, the fan 1442 and/or the otherenvironmental control devices 1445 may query (e.g., via the cloudservices 145) the smart devices (e.g., the thermostat 10A, the detectors10B, and/or other smart devices 10C) for the ETA to determine whether toperform a function.

Additionally, when the smart devices 10A and 10B enter a Rush HourRewards event to conserve energy (e.g., by turning off the HVAC), theceiling fan 1442 and/or the other environmental control devices 1445 maybe turned on and/or the vents 1443 may be actuated to a certain angle.For example, the air purifier, humidifier, air freshener, portable fanor heater, may be turned on to preserver a level of comfort orsatisfaction in the environment 30. In some instances, the otherenvironmental control devices 1445 may turn off when the smart devices10A and 10B enter the Rush Hour Rewards mode. In any embodiment, itshould be noted that the fan 1442 and/or the other environmental controldevices 1445 may be synchronized with the smart devices 10A and 10B toconsume energy in a similar fashion (e.g., based on the same energyconsumption schedule or usage schedule).

In one embodiment, the fan 1442 may be used as an extension of the HVACfan. For example, when the HVAC fan is running, the fan 1442 may becontrolled to operate simultaneously, acting as an external fanextension for the forced air fan (e.g., G-wire) of the HVAC system. Inanother embodiment, the fan 1442 and/or the other environmental controldevices 1445 may be synchronized with the hazard detector 10B. Forexample, in some embodiments, when the hazard detector 10B triggers analarm based on a detected hazardous condition, any and/or allexternally-vented fans may be activated. Additionally or alternatively,in some embodiments, when a hazard is detected, such as the presence ofcarbon monoxide, the fans included in the environmental control devices1445 (e.g., air purifier, portable fan, air freshener) may be turned offso air is not circulated.

Further, fan 1442 data may be used to control other devices within theenvironment 30. In some embodiments, the thermostat 10A may becontrolled based upon fan 1442 data. For example, in one embodiment,thermostat 10A setpoints may be altered based upon whether or not a fan1442 is active and/or particular speed settings of the active fan 1442.For example, wind chill caused by the fan may make an environment 30feel cooler than it actually is. Thus, the HVAC may cool to a highertemperature, taking into account the artificial temperaturedifferentiation caused by the wind chill. In some embodiments,particular set-points may be used based upon whether the occupancystatus is occupied or unoccupied. Accordingly, the fan 1442 and/or theHVAC system may operate less when the environment 30 is unoccupied.However, in some instances, when the smart devices 10A or 10B are in the“AWAY” mode, the fan 1442 may be periodically activated to circulate theair in the unoccupied rooms.

In one embodiment, the fan 1442 may provide occupancy-relevant data viaa sensor 1444, which may be used in determining occupancy status of theenvironment 30. As mentioned herein, occupancy status may be used tocontrol lighting, control thermostat “home” and/or “away” modeactivation, etc.

In some embodiments, energy usage of the fan 1442 (e.g., kWh usage forthe current fan speed) may be provided to systems of the environment 30via the API 90. This may be used in energy consumption calculationsand/or reporting for the environment 30.

In one embodiment, an environmental scene may be orchestrated in thesmart-device enabled environment 30. For example, when thescent-providing device 1446 provides a scent (e.g., lavender), otherdevices may be controlled to provide a complementary environment 30configuration. For example, color changing lights 1448 may be adjustedto a color (e.g., purple) associated with the scent, the thermostat 10Amay be adjusted to a temperature associated with the scent, etc.Additionally, the fan 1444 may be controlled to distribute the scentthroughout the environment 30.

In some embodiments, the scent-providing device 1446 may be controlledbased upon data received from the hazard detector 10B. For example, whena hazard detector 10B in a kitchen detects smoke, it may be likely thatfood has been burnt. Accordingly, the scent-provision device 1446 may becontrolled to provide an odor-reducing scent in the kitchen, to try andneutralize the smell of the burnt food, remove smoke from the kitchen,etc. Further, the fan 1442 may be controlled to disperse the scent inthe kitchen.

Additionally, in some embodiments, when a hazard or movement is detectedby the thermostat 10A and/or the hazard detector 10B, the lights 1448 orlights of the environmental control device may be activated, such that apath light is provided. For example, a light of the scent-provisiondevice 1446 may be activated, etc.

In security embodiments, the environment 30 may be configured to thwartan environment 30 invasion. For example, upon detection of unauthorizedoccupancy in the environment 30 (e.g., by detecting movement from thethermostat 10A, hazard detector 10B, other smart devices 10C), anindication of the unauthorized occupancy may be provided to the cloudservices 145. Based upon this indication, the lights 1448 may illuminateto full power. Further, a fog generation system 1449 may produce fog inthe smart environment 30, which may deter movement by the unauthorizedoccupants.

Shade Integration

In some embodiments, smart shade data (e.g., conditions) may be used toaffect changes in a thermostat 10A or detectors 10B and/or a thermostat10A or detectors 10B may be used to affect changes in the smart shades.FIG. 43 provides an illustration of relational control between smartshades 1600 and a smart-device enabled environment 30. The smart shades1600 may be installed on or near windows throughout the interior of astructure, such as a home, and/or a vehicle to allow and/or block lightthrough a window as desired. In some embodiments, the smart shades 1600may be controlled based on data obtained via cloud services related tothe smart devices 10A and 10B and the smart shades 1600 may provideinformation to smart devices 10A and/or 10B and/or central server orcloud-computing system 64 via cloud services 145. The smart shades 1600may include blinds, window tinting, and the like.

In some embodiments, when the detectors 10B detect an alarm state (e.g.,CO detected and/or smoke detected), the smart shades 1600 may be raisedto create awareness to people external to the structure that there maybe a fire in the structure and convenience for emergency services.Further, the smart shades 1600 may be used to save energy by lowering tocool the structure to offset a high ambient temperature without havingto activate the HVAC or raise the temperature on the thermostat 10A.

In some embodiments, as discussed above, the smart devices 10A and/or10B may include ambient light sensors and temperature sensors. Thesensors may be used to determine whether the smart devices are in directsunlight (e.g., whether the sunlight is warming up a room or not). Ifthe smart devices 10A and 10B determine that they are in directsunlight, they can contact the smart shades 1600 and instruct the smartshades 1600 to remove the sunlight by lowering rather than activatingthe HVAC. The smart shades 1600 may be separately controlled. That is,some but not all of the smart shades 1600 may be raised and lowered incoordination with the smart devices 10A and 10B as desired to helpprovide a desired temperature. Further, the user may control the smartshades 1600 and/or the thermostat 10A from an app on a mobile device1602.

Further, in some embodiments, when the smart devices 10A and 10B enterthe “AWAY” mode or “AUTO-AWAY” mode, the smart shades 1600 may lower.Also, when the smart devices 10A and 10B enter the “HOME” mode, thesmart shades 1600 may rise. Also, during a Rush Hour Rewards event, thesmart shades 1600 may be lowered.

Doorbell Integration

In some embodiments, doorbell data (e.g., conditions) may be used toaffect changes in a thermostat 10A or detectors 10B and/or a thermostat10A or detectors 10B may be used to affect changes in the doorbells. Asillustrated in FIG. 2, the doorbells 52 may be installed on or neardoors that function as gateways to a structure, such as a home (e.g. asmart environment 10D). In some embodiments, the doorbells 52 may becontrolled based on data obtained via cloud services (e.g., cloudservices 145) related to the smart devices 10A-C and the doorbells 52may provide information to smart devices 10A-C and/or central server orcloud-computing system 64 via the cloud services 145.

In some embodiments, the doorbell 52 s may include light-emitting diodes(LED) that flash certain colors based on various conditions of the smartdevices 10A-C. For example, when the hazard detectors 10B are in analarm state due to a hazardous condition detected and/or intrusiondetection or other alarms are provided by an alarm system, the LED's mayflash a certain color (e.g., red). This may enable the user to determinethat there is a hazard detected prior to entering the home. In someembodiments, the LED's may flash the same color as the detectors 10Bduring the alarm state. That is, the LED's may replicate the alarmstate.

In certain embodiments, the doorbell 52 may use the LED's to provide anindication that a previous hazard or alarm (e.g., from the hazarddetector 10B and/or an alarm system) was detected since someone hasoccupied the environment. That is, the LED's may be used to provide ahistory of events that occurred on the hazard detector 10B while theperson was away. For example, in one embodiment, if a hazard conditionis detected when the occupancy status is set to “AWAY”, the doorbellsmay flash a certain other color (e.g., yellow). In some embodiments,when the occupancy status is subsequently set to “HOME” (or otherwiseindicates that occupants are present), this indicator may subside.Further, when the doorbell 52 is pushed, a video camera 72 proximate thedoor or within the doorbell or lock itself may be turned on and apicture may be taken.

In certain embodiments, the doorbell 52 may use the LED's to provide awarning indication regarding smart devices 10A, 10B, 10C. For example,in one embodiment, if a warning condition is detected (e.g., anappliance (e.g., an oven) is on when the occupancy status is set to“AWAY”), then the doorbells may flash a certain other color (e.g.,green).

In some embodiments, when the doorbell 52 is pushed, an occupancysimulation may be triggered with various smart devices 10C to simulatethat the home owner is at home. For example, smart shades may moveslightly, music may be turned on, lights may be turned on, a televisionmay be turned on, or the like. In this way, a potential burglar may bedeterred by the home occupancy simulation. As mentioned herein, thesimulation actions may be implemented on a time delay. For example, uponthe doorbell 52 being pushed, the actions may be implemented on a randomdelay within a particular range of time (e.g., 30 seconds to 1 minute)or at a set delayed time (e.g., 30 seconds for lights, one minute forthe music, etc.).

Sprinkler Integration

In some embodiments, smart sprinkler data (e.g., conditions) may be usedto affect changes in a thermostat 10A, detectors 10B, and/or other smartdevices 10C and/or a thermostat 10A, detectors 10B, and/or other smartdevices 10C may be used to affect changes in the smart sprinklers. FIG.44 provides an illustration of a system 1620 including relationalcontrol between smart sprinklers 1622. The smart sprinklers 1622 may beinstalled in a yard surrounding a structure, such as a home. In someembodiments, the smart sprinklers 1622 may be controlled based on dataobtained via cloud services 145 related to the smart devices 10A and 10Band the smart sprinklers 1622 may provide information to smart devices10A and/or 10B and/or central server or cloud-computing system 64 viacloud services 145.

The smart sprinklers 1622 may include wireless communication circuitryto communicate with the smart devices 10A and 10B. In some embodiments,when the detectors 10B are in an alarm state (e.g., smoke detected) fora configurable amount of time, the smart sprinklers 1622 may beactivated to provide water to the yard surrounding the house to cool theproperty during a fire. Further, the smart sprinklers 1622 may providewater usage data to the central server 64, which may be used forreporting or in any suitable manner.

Additionally, the smart sprinklers 1622 may be synchronized with asecurity system of the environment 30. For example, if a break-in isdetected (e.g., window broken) or the security alarm is tripped for somereason, the smart sprinklers 1622 may activate to deter burglar fromrunning away or provide a visual cue to draw attention to the buildingso others look in the direction of the building. In this way, theonlookers may notice that the alarm is going on in the house or unusualactivity is occurring and alert the authorities.

Garage Door Openers

In some embodiments, a garage door opener may be used as either acondition for a thermostat 10A, detector 10B, and/or other device 10Ccontrol and/or a thermostat 10A, detector 10B, and/or other device 10Ccondition may be used for a garage door opener control. FIG. 45 providesa system 1640 that integrates a garage door opener 1642 with smartdevices 10A and/or 10B.

In the provided embodiment, the garage door opener 1642 status mayindicate that someone is arriving and/or leaving the environment 30(e.g., via the garage 1644). Accordingly, a prompt 1646 may be providedon a user's device 1648 (e.g., smart phone) prompting to change the modeof the thermostat 10A (e.g., from “HOME” to “AWAY” or vice versa).Alternatively, the thermostat 10A may be set to “HOME” or “AWAY”automatically without prompting a user.

Further, in cases where a user inadvertently leaves the garage door 1650open, data (e.g., conditions) of the thermostat 10A, detector 10B,and/or other devices 10C may be used to trigger closure of the door1650. For example, a conditional rule might trigger closure of the door1650 on the thermostat being “AWAY” for 30 minutes or longer. Thus, thedoor 1650 may be closed, adding household security. Any “AWAY” modeduration may be used to trigger the closure. For example, the durationcould be 10 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, etc.).

In some embodiments, the thermostat 10A may use the garage door 1650 toadd ventilation to the environment 30. In one embodiment automaticgarage ventilation may occur for weather related events. For example,the thermostat 10A may determine that the current weather conditions areparticularly hot and/or cold. The thermostat 10A determination may beused to automatically control the garage door opener 1642 to eitherfully or partially open and/or close the garage door 1650. This actionmay result in more efficient ventilation of the environment 30.

Additionally and/or alternatively smoke and/or carbon monoxide eventsmay also result in automatic ventilation via the garage. For example,when the detector 10B detects smoke and/or carbon monoxide, the systemmay provide a control command to the garage door opener 1642 toopen/close the garage door 1650, allowing for proper ventilation ofsmoke and/or carbon dioxide. For example, in some embodiments wherecarbon monoxide is detected, the garage door opener 1642 may becontrolled to open the garage door 1650 to allow the carbon monoxide toescape. When smoke is detected, the opener 1642 may be controlled toclose in an attempt to reduce oxygen from a potential fire.

In some embodiments, data from the garage door 1650 may be used tocontrol the thermostat 10A, the detector 10B, and/or other devices 10C.For example, the garage door opener 1642 may be equipped to detect whena garage door 1650 is forced open as opposed to voluntarily opened. Upondetection of a forced opening or opening during an unexpected time(e.g., during work hours), the system may trigger events in theenvironment 30. For example, a camera 72 in the garage may be activatedto record activities occurring in the garage. Additionally and/oralternatively, alarms may be triggered (e.g., via the speakers of thedetector 10B, etc.). However, in some embodiments, upon detection thatan occupant of the smart environment 10D opened the garage door 1650,the cameras may be deactivated. In some embodiments, when the garagedoor is opened or closed, the camera 72 may be configured to take apicture of the area proximate to the garage door and send it to asmartphone or the like of the user. In certain embodiments, when thepicture is taken, the picture and/or a link to the picture may beprovided in an application associated with the garage door opener 1642.When such an embodiment is used, motion event notifications from thecamera 72 situated near the garage may be deactivated, such that thegarage door opener 1642 controls events related to the garage door 1650,as the garage door opener 1642 may be able to provide more relevantnotifications, while motion events from the camera 72 may inundate auser with less relevant notifications.

Electric Vehicle Chargers

In some embodiments, the garage 1644 (or other location within theenvironment 30, a parking lot and/or garage, or elsewhere) may beequipped with an electric vehicle charger 1652. Data from the charger1652 (e.g., energy usage data) may be used in reporting and/or controlfrom elsewhere in the environment 30. Further, conditions from theenvironment 30 (e.g., data from the thermostat 10A. detector 10B, orother devices 10C) may be used to control the charger 1652.

In one embodiment, when smoke and/or carbon monoxide are detected (e.g.,via the detector 10B), a control signal may be sent to the electricvehicle charger 1652 to deactivate charging. This may, in some cases,provide additional security in the case of a fire or other emergencyevent.

The charger 1652 may serve multiple purposes. For example, while thecharger 1652 may be used to provide power to a vehicle, the charger 1652may also be used to provide power to electronic devices within a smartdevice environment. In embodiments where the environment is equippedwith energy savings programs (e.g., discounted energy pricing when usageoccurs at off-peak times), the environment may provide energy savingoperation commands to the charger 1652. For example, the charger 1652may pull large amounts of energy. Thus, it may be more cost efficient tocharge devices at off-peak times (e.g., when discounted energy isavailable). Thus, via the APIs 90, the system may disable chargingduring peak times and enable charging during the off-peak time periods.In some embodiments, the user may be presented options to delay chargingduring Rush Hour Rewards (e.g., peak times where energy may be conservedto save money). In addition, based on previous times that the driver hasleft in the vehicle, a schedule of the user may be learned by theelectric vehicle charger, the one or more smart devices 10A or 10B, thecloud server 64, the services 145, or the like so that control signalsmay be sent to the vehicle to precondition the vehicle for the driverbefore entering the vehicle.

Further, in some embodiments, the charger 1652 may be coupled with apower generation source 1654, such as a solar power generator. In someembodiments, the power generation source 1654 may provide power duringthe peak times and use grid charging during off-peak times. In someembodiments, the power generation source 1654 may be used whenever thepower generation source 1654 is able to generate sufficient power forthe charger 1652.

However, when the power generation source 1654 is unable to generatepower, such as when the power generation source 1654 is a solar powersource and there is limited sunlight, smart devices, such as thethermostat 10A and/or other devices 10C may be controlled to enter a lowpower, mode, because the power generation source 1654 is unable togenerate sufficient power for the charger 1652. As mentioned above,depending on the configuration, the power generation source 1654 may beused during peak grid demand and/or during off-peak grid demand periods.Accordingly, such control of the smart devices 10A and/or 10C to enterlow-power mode may occur during the peak grid demand periods and/orduring the off-peak grid demand periods, depending on the configuration.Further, in some embodiments, forward-prediction may be used to controlthe smart devices 10A and/or 10C to enter low power mode. For example,when the charger 1652 has sufficient power to provision power toelectronic devices of the environment, but it is likely that a vehiclemay need to be charged later in the day and subsequent power generationwill likely not be feasible (e.g., because there is limited sunlight),the electronic devices (e.g., thermostat 10A and/or other smart devices10C) may be controlled to enter low power mode, such that the power maybe preserved for subsequent vehicle charging.

Further, the charger 1652 and/or the power generation source 1654 may beused to provide power to the electronic devices in a smart homeenvironment 30 based on the occupancy state of the smart devices 10A,10B, and/or 10C. For example, the charger 1652 and/or the powergeneration source 1654 may provide power to the electronic devices whenthe occupancy status is set to “HOME” or “AWAY,” depending on userpreferences. In addition, the charger 1652 and/or the power generationsource 1654 may provide power to the electronic devices in the smarthome environment 30 during disaster recovery events based on occupancystate. For example, if a tornado is present in an area including thesmart devices 10A, 10B, and/or 10C and the occupancy state is set to“HOME,” the charger 1652 and/or the power generation source 1654 mayprovide power to the electronic devices because grid power may have beeninterrupted by the tornado.

Lighting and Electrical Integration

In some embodiments, smart light data (e.g., conditions) may be used toaffect changes in a thermostat 10A or detectors 10B and/or a thermostat10A or detectors 10B may be used to affect changes in the smart lights.FIG. 46 provides an illustration of relational control between smartlights 1700 and a smart-device enabled environment 30. The smart lights1700 may be disposed throughout the interior and/or exterior of astructure, such as a home.

As previously discussed, in some embodiments, the smart lights 1700 maybe controlled based upon other device data obtained via cloud services145. As used herein, the smart lights (e.g., smart lights 1700) mayrefer to smart bulbs, smart plugs with attached lights, smart lightswitches, etc.). The lights may have access to Rush Hour Rewardsinformation obtained by the smart devices 10A and 10B and may blink thelights a desired color (e.g., green) at the beginning of a peak periodand another color (e.g., orange) at the end of the of the peak period.Also, the smart lights 1700 may check on the Rush Hour Rewards peakperiod start/end time and dim the lights by a user-specified percentageduring the peak period. In some embodiments, the smart lights 1700 mayautomatically determine the percentage to dim (e.g., a defaultpercentage) based on efficiency and power saving information obtainedvia cloud services 145 without user input. Additionally, the lights 1700may automatically turn off during a Rush Hour Rewards peak period.

In some embodiments, when the detectors 10B are in an alarm state (e.g.CO detected, smoke detected, or both), the smart lights 1700 may beautomatically controlled. For example, the smart lights 1700 may flash adesired color (e.g., red) for a configurable amount of time (e.g., 4-5seconds). That is, when the detectors 10B detect an emergency, thelights may flash red and white for a number of cycles (e.g., 20). Afterthe flashing cycles are complete, the smart lights 1700 may turn to fullbrightness warm white to light the house and assist with exiting. Insome embodiments, when the detectors 10B are in an alarm state, thesmart lights 1700 may change color to red and remain red until the alarmis no longer set. In additional embodiments, when the detectors 10B arein an alarm state, the smart lights 1700 may turn on and off to createstrobe lighting. Also, the smart lights 1700 may light the path to theexit in the home based on the room in which the user is detected. Insome embodiments, the lights 1700 may enable providing a smart exit paththat does not necessarily lead to the front door, but is based on sensordeterminations within the smart home environment 30. For example, if thefront door is blocked by an obstruction, but sensors determine that apath to a window on the first floor is unobstructed, the lights mayguide a path to that window.

As mentioned above, in some embodiments, the smart lights 1700 may beused for added security measures. For example, the smart lights 1700 maycheck the away status of the smart devices 10A and 10B and, when thestatus is in “AWAY” mode, the smart lights 1700 may randomly turn on andoff throughout the house to simulate that someone is home. Further, whenthe smart devices 10A and 10B go into “AWAY” mode, the smart lights 1700may automatically dim to a certain percentage (e.g., 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%,etc.) of brightness. In some embodiments, when the smart devices 10Aand/or 10B enter the “AWAY” mode or “AUTO-AWAY” mode, the smart lights1700 may automatically turn off. Further, when the smart devices 10Aand/or 10B enter “HOME” mode, the smart lights 1700 may automaticallyturn on.

Further, in some embodiments, the camera 72 may detect motion (e.g.,inside or outside of an environment 30). The motion event may beprovided to the cloud services 145, which may result in control of thesmart lights 1700. For example, the smart lights 1700 may instantlyactivate after detection of the motion. However, in some embodiments, tomore realistically simulate occupancy of the environment 30, the lights1700 may be activated after a certain period of time (e.g., 5 seconds, arandom time period in a certain range of time (e.g., between 3 secondsand 1 minute, etc.).

In some embodiments, the smart lights 1700 may illuminate to full power,may flash, etc. inside and/or outside an environment 30, upon detectionof unauthorized occupancy of the environment 30. This may bringattention to the environment 30, which may discourage continuedunauthorized occupancy of the environment 30. Further, audio may beplayed from smart speakers, such as warning indications, dog barks, orother unauthorized occupancy deterrents.

Additionally, in some embodiments, the electricity used by the smartlights 1700 may be sent to the central server or a cloud-computingsystem 64 via cloud services 145. The electricity information may beused for reporting or for making operational decisions. For example,smart lights 1700 that require more electricity may be used less oftenif the user directs the smart devices 10A and 10B to operate in moreefficient modes.

Further, the smart lights 1700 and the thermostat 10A may coordinatecontrol to produce a “scene”. For example, a scene may be configured fora romantic dinner where the lights are dimmed to a certain percentageand the thermostat 10A is set to a certain desirable temperature toenhance the mood during the dinner. In some embodiments, the smartlights 1700 may be dimmed or brightened for certain temperatures toenhance the feeling of being cooler/warmer. This may enable the user tosave money on energy while keeping the user comfortable.

In some embodiments, the smart lights 1700 may create a boundary (e.g.geo-fence) 1702 that may be used to control the away state of the smartdevices 10A and 10B. For example, when the user enters geo-fence 1702 ofthe smart lights 1700 (e.g., mobile device enters the geo-fence 1702),the smart devices 10A and 10B may be set to “HOME” mode. Likewise, whenthe user leaves the geo-fence 1702, the smart devices may be set to“AWAY” mode.

Further, in some embodiments the smart lights 1700 may be used to detectoccupancy in the rooms of a structure using sensors. Room profiles maybe maintained for each room, such as “warmer than average”, “average”,and “cooler than average”. Based on motion signals sent from the smartlights 1700 and the room profile for the particular room in which motionis detected, the thermostat 10A may adjust the temperaturewarmer/cooler. In addition, the smart lights 1700 may detect that nooccupancy has been detected in the structure for a configurable amountof time (e.g., 15, 20, 25, 30 minutes) and a notification can be sent toan application tailored for the smart lights 1700 installed on theuser's mobile device asking how long to suspend cooling or heating whilethe user is away. For example, although the thermostat 10A may havelearned to keep the heat on during the daytime hours on the weekend, thesmart lights 1700 may detect the user is not home for 30 minutes if theuser ran out to grab lunch and can prompt the user to stop heating thehouse (e.g., deactivate HVAC). Fine tuning of the thermostat 10A controlfor just a few hours each day may save energy consumption.

Also, in some embodiments, day/night schedules maintained for thethermostat 10A and the smart lights 1700 settings may be enhanced. Forexample, the smart lights 1700 may be used to emit color temperature.That is, some colors may enhance cool temperatures, such as soft whites,whereas other colors emitted may enhance warm temperatures, such as warmyellow tones. The smart lights 1700 may adjust the light color emittedbased on the temperature setpoint of the thermostat 10A throughout theday/night schedules. Thus, the color temperature of the smart lights1700 may be tied to the HVAC operating mode (e.g., cooling, heating,“HOME”, “AWAY”, etc.) and/or the ambient target temperature of thethermostat 10A.

In some embodiments, the video camera 72 data (e.g., conditions) may beused to produce smart light 1700 outputs and smart light 1700 conditionsmay be used to produce video camera 72 outputs. For example, the smartlights 1700 may increase brightness when motion is detected or seen nearthe video camera 72. In some instances, when motion is detected by thesmart lights 1700 may cause the smart devices 10A or 10B to enter a“HOME” mode. Also, the smart lights 1700 brightness in a room mayincrease when the video camera 72 is activated. Additionally, when asmart light 1700 detects a disturbance (e.g., when a light is broken),the video camera 72 may focus on the area where the smart light 1700 wasdisturbed to try to capture what caused the disturbance. In someembodiments, the video camera 72 focus may be adjusted based on thesmart lights 1700 setting (e.g., brightness, color, etc.).

If there are multiple users (e.g., family) living in a home, profilesmay be maintained for each user. The profiles may include each user'spreferences for lighting, temperature, security, and/or other smartdevice settings at certain times of the day and night. For example, alight profile for a particular user may indicate that the user prefersthe lights dimmed as the user prepares for bed at a certain time of thenight (e.g., 9 PM) and the thermostat 10A set to a particulartemperature. When the smart lights 1700 and/or smart devices 10A and/or10B detect that particular user to be home, that particular user'sprofile may be applied to control the smart lights 1700 and/or smartdevices 10A and/or 10B. That is, the smart devices in the smartenvironment 30 may detect specific users based on beacons (Bluetooth,ZigBee, etc.) emitted from the user's mobile device(s), wearables, andthe like, to receivers (smart lights 1700, smart plugs, smart switches,smart devices 10A and/or 10B, etc.). The beacons may include a signaturespecific to the user, which may be used to determine that the user ispresent. Additionally or alternatively, sound signatures for each usermay be obtained and used to determine that the user is present. Forexample, each user may emit unique sounds, such as breathing patterns,footsteps (heavy or light steps), talking, coughing, laughing, and soforth that may be used to determine who is present in the home and applythat user's profile to control the smart devices.

In some embodiments, certain user's profiles may take priority overother users when multiple users are present in the home. For example,the mother or father's user profile may trump the children's, or viceversa, when determining which profile to apply. Also, when the users arein different rooms, the smart devices may detect which user is in whichroom and control the temperature, lighting, and so forth, for thatparticular user in that particular room. Thus, using the describedtechniques may enhance the HVAC zoning by cooling and/or warmingparticular rooms when occupancy is detected in that room whiledeactivating or operating the HVAC system more efficiently when the useris not present in other rooms. As may be appreciated, this may enablegranular control for a conscientious home.

The smart lights 1700 may track the lighting over the course of a numberof days and nights to determine a user's lighting schedule. When theuser sets the smart devices 10A and/or 10B to “AWAY” mode or the smartdevices 10A and/or 10B enter “AUTO-AWAY”, the lighting schedules may beapplied to create the appearance that the user is at home. This may bebeneficial when the user goes on vacation or a business trip and is awayfrom the home for numerous days (e.g., akin to a vacation mode). Asmentioned above, random lighting may be used by the smart lights 1700when the smart devices 10A and/or 10B enter “AWAY” mode.

FIG. 27 illustrates embodiments of lighting and electrical interactionwith a smart environment 30. Smart lighting may be controlled by manymechanisms. For example, as illustrated, lightbulbs 1706A-C arecontrolled via different mechanisms. Lightbulb 10A is controlled by asmart electrical switch 1708. Lightbulb 10B is controlled by a smartelectrical plug and/or electrical plug adapter 1800. Lightbulb 10C is asmart-bulb having its own control circuitry. Lightbulbs may becontrolled by other mechanisms as well.

The lightbulbs 1706A-C may interact with other devices (e.g., thethermostat 10A, detector 10B, and/or other devices 10C) of theenvironment 30 (e.g., via cloud 145 communications). Certainuser-defined lightbulbs 1706A-C may be turned on and/or off based uponthe occupancy mode of a thermostat 10A. For example, certain lightbulbs1706A-C may be turned on and/or off (e.g., via the switch 1708, the plug1800, or independently) when the thermostat 10A enters an away mode.Further, certain lightbulbs 1706A-C may be turned on and/or off (e.g.,via the switch 1708, the plug 1800, or independently) when thethermostat 10A enters a home mode.

When an alarm is triggered (e.g., via a detector 10B) the lightbulbs1706A-C may be turned on to secure a safe pathway out of the environment30. The lightbulbs 1706A-C may be controlled to flash when an alarmsounds (e.g., from the detector 10B), which may provide increased alarmvisibility. In addition, external lights, such as pool lights, outdoorlights, etc. may be activated (e.g., flashed, solidly lit, randomlylit). Also, during an alarm, the lights may be activated at colorscorresponding to different states (e.g., yellow for warning state, redfor alarm state, green for all-clear state).

In embodiments where the environment 30 is equipped with energy savingsprograms (e.g., discounted energy pricing when usage occurs at off-peaktimes), the lightbulbs 1706A-C, switches 1708, and/or plugs 1800 may becontrolled to limit energy consumption during peak (e.g., moreexpensive) energy periods.

Energy consumption statistics for these devices may be provided via thecloud 145 to the environment 30 for reporting. If consumption reaches athreshold consumption amount defined at the system (e.g., by a user),the devices may be turned off and/or run at lower energy levels.

In some embodiments, the lightbulbs 1706A-C, the smart switch 1708,and/or the plug 1800 may provide conditional data useful in the controlof smart devices (e.g., the thermostat 10A, the detector 10B, and/orother device 10C) of the smart environment 30.

For example, when lightbulbs 1706A-C, switches 1708, and/or plugs 1800are activated, occupancy is likely (unless the activation is based uponsystem control). Accordingly, data indicating manual activation of thesedevices may be used to impact the occupancy status of the environment30. As mentioned herein, the occupancy status may be used to change amode of the thermostat 10A from “AWAY” to “HOME.” Further, during a timewhen occupancy is unexpected, an indication of unexpected occupancy maybe sent to an occupant (e.g., at their smart phone, tablet, etc.).Additionally and/or alternatively, an input may be provided to an alarmsystem of the environment 30 indicating the occupancy and/or an alarmmay be triggered (e.g., by the detector 10B and/or other devices 10C).In some embodiments, when occupancy is not expected but occupancy isdetected, the lighting may be activated to focus on the areas whereoccupancy is detected (e.g., to try to put a spotlight on an intruder inthe environment).

Smart Plug Integration

In some embodiments, smart plug data (e.g., conditions) may be used toaffect changes in a thermostat 10A or detectors 10B and/or a thermostat10A or detectors 10B may be used to affect changes in the smart plugs.FIG. 48 provides an illustration of relational control/reporting betweensmart plugs 1850 and smart devices 10A and/or 10B in a smart environment30. The smart plugs 1850 may be plugged into electrical socketsthroughout a home and use be capable of wireless communication (e.g.,using Bluetooth low energy). In some embodiments, the smart plugs 1850may provide information to smart devices 10A and/or 10B and/or centralserver or cloud-computing system 64 via cloud services 145. For example,energy usage may be tracked by the smart plugs 1850 and sent to thesmart devices 10A, 10B, and/or 10C to be aggregated into a report whichmay be sent to a user or other entity.

In some embodiments, the smart plugs 1850 may use one or more sensors(e.g., infrared) to detect occupancy. The occupancy information obtainedfrom the smart plugs 1850 may be sent to the smart devices 10A/10Band/or central server 64. The smart devices 10A and/or 10B may enter the“HOME” mode or the “AWAY” mode based on the occupancy informationdetected by the smart plugs 1850. Further, the smart plugs 1850 maydetect which user is present in the structure and the temperature may beset by the thermostat 10A based on the particular user's preferences.

When the detectors 10B enter an alarm state (e.g., detect smoke and/orCO), the smart plugs 1850 may deactivate any appliances or electronicdevices connected to the smart plugs 1850 and/or turn on all lightsconnected to the smart plugs 1850. In some embodiments, the smart plugs1850 may include certain lights or light-emitting-diodes that turn acolor when the detectors 10B are in an alarm state. Further, in someembodiments, the lights of the smart plugs 1850 may be controlledautomatically based on the occupancy status of the smart devices 10Aand/or 10B (e.g., turn on the lights when “HOME”). In anotherembodiment, a smart nightlight may also change colors based on the alarmstate 10B of the detectors 10B. In some embodiments, the light of theplugs and/or nightlight may turn on or off based on the alarm state ofthe detectors 10B. The smart plugs 1850 may perform dimming depending onthe alarm state of the detectors 10B.

During a Rush Hour Rewards event, the smart plugs 1850 may deactivateall heavy load appliances. The smart plugs 1850 may send energy usageinformation to the smart devices 10A/10B and/or the central server 64via cloud services 145. Further, information regarding the smart devices10A/10B (e.g., temperature setpoint, operating mode (cooling, heating,“HOME”, “AWAY”, etc.), alarm state, etc.) may be displayed in an apptailored for the smart plugs 1850 on a mobile device and/or computer.

In some embodiments, a user profile may be generated based on data fromthe smart plugs 1850 indicating the user's preferences for the states ofvarious devices plugged into the smart plugs 1850 at various times.Facial recognition, audio signature recognition, or the like may be usedby the smart plugs 1850 to detect a particular user in a room and theuser's profile may be applied to control the devices plugged into thesmart plugs 1850 and/or to control the temperature setpoint of thedevice 10A.

Lock and Key Integration

In some embodiments, smart key system data (e.g., conditions) may beused to affect changes in a thermostat 10A or detectors 10B and/or athermostat 10A or detectors 10B may be used to affect changes in thesmart key system. FIG. 49 provides an illustration of control/reportingrelating to a smart key system 1900 in the smart environment 30. Thesmart key system 1900 may be installed on one or more doors of astructure, such as a home. In some embodiments, the smart key system1900 may be controlled based on data obtained via cloud services 145related to the smart devices 10A and 10B and the smart key system 1900may provide information to smart devices 10A and/or 10B and/or centralserver or cloud-computing system 64 via cloud services 145.

The smart key system 1900 may be operated (e.g., locked and/or unlocked)based on wireless signals received from a mobile device 1902 over awireless communication protocol (e.g., Bluetooth low energy (BLE),ZigBee, Wi-Fi). For example, when the user walks up to the doorincluding the smart key system 1900, the smart key system 1900 maydetect the user's mobile device 1902 based on the wireless signal andunlock the door. Likewise, when the user's mobile device 1902 leaves aboundary surrounding the smart key system 1900 (detected based on thewireless signals), the smart key system 1900 may lock. In this way, a“geo fence” may be used to enable locking and unlocking the smart keysystem 1900 when the user leaves the geo fence and/or when the userenters the geo fence. The detection of the user's mobile device 1902,wearable, or electronic device capable of emitting a wireless signal,may be sent to the smart devices 10A and/or 10B and/or the centralserver 64 to aid in setting the home/away modes. For example, when theuser enters the home by unlocking the smart key system 1900, the smartdevices 10A and/or 10B may enter the “HOME” mode and when the user exitsthe home by locking the smart key system 1900, the smart devices 10Aand/or 10B may enter the “AWAY” mode.

The wireless signals (BLE) may be used to personalize the user'ssettings for the thermostat 10A. For example, upon the smart key system1900 detecting the user entering the structure, the thermostat 10A mayset the temperature to the user's preferred temperature. If multipleusers enter the structure, the temperature may be set to the user withthe highest priority (e.g., mother, father, grandparent, etc.). Inaddition, when the smart key system 1900 detects the user's mobiledevice 1902, wearable, or the like, a notification may be sent to themobile device 1902 for the user to confirm whether the user is home.This may set the smart devices 10A and/or 10B to the “HOME” mode andcause the user's preferred temperature to be set. Likewise, when thesmart key system 1900 detects that the user's mobile device 1902 hasexited and locks, a notification may be sent to the mobile device 1902for the user to confirm that the user is away.

The smart key system 1900 may include firmware polls the network forcertain information, such as new messages for the smart key system 1900(e.g., new PIN code, an alert from another smart device on the network).When the smart devices 10A and 10B are in the “HOME” mode, the smart keysystem 1900 may reduce the polling frequency (e.g., instead of 4seconds, check every 12 seconds). Likewise, when the smart devices 10Aand 10B enter the “AWAY” mode, the smart key system's frequency ofpolling the network may be increased. Thus, in this way occupancy dataobtained from the smart devices 10A and 10B may be used to control thefrequency of the smart key system 1900 checking in using the network.Lowering the frequency when the user is home may save battery life ofthe smart key system 1900. When the smart devices 10A/10B are in the“AWAY” mode for a period of time and the smart key system 1900 has a lowbattery life, then a notification may be sent to the user to turn offthe radio in the product (e.g., put in hibernate mode where it does notpoll the network). Further, Bluetooth low energy (BLE) may be used assecondary authentication. For example, PIN-code may be entered as firstauthentication and BLE communication from a mobile device is secondauthentication where both levels of authentication are used to accessthe structure.

In some embodiments, tampering with the smart-key system 1900 may causecertain actions to be triggered. For example, an alarm of a securitysystem may be activated, or the like. Moreover, it should be noted, thattampering detected by any of the smart devices 10C (e.g., garage door,window, door, doorbell, etc.) may cause any alarm of the security systemto be activated. Other actions may be performed to deter a potentialthreat when tampering is detected, such as turning on the lights, music,or the like. That is occupancy simulation (e.g., actions that simulatethat the owner is occupying the building) may occur when tampering isdetected.

In some embodiments, a smart-lock 1900 condition may be used to affectchanges in a thermostat 10A or other smart device and/or a thermostat10A or other smart device condition may be used to affect changes in thesmart-lock 1900. FIG. 50 provides an illustration of a system 1950relational control/reporting between a smart-lock 1900 and asmart-device enabled environment 30.

As may be appreciated, accessing a smart-lock 1900 may be nearly thefirst interaction an occupant has with the environment 30 when enteringthe environment 30. Further, the occupant's interaction with thesmart-lock 1900 may be nearly the last smart-device interaction with theenvironment 30 when leaving the environment 30. Accordingly, smart-lock1900 status indicators may be desirable for use in determiningenvironment 30 occupancy status 1956.

In some embodiments, environment occupancy detection may be improvedusing status indications from the smart-lock 1900. For example, when thesmart-lock 1900 is in an unlocked state 1952, it may be more likely thatsomeone is occupying the environment. When the smart-lock 1900 is in alocked state 1954, it may be more likely that no one is occupying theenvironment 30 than when in the unlocked state 1952. This may result inquicker and/or more accurate control of smart-devices based upon theoccupancy status 1956.

Upon the smart-lock transitioning from a locked state 1954 to anunlocked state 1952, it may be likely that an occupant is returning tothe environment 30. Accordingly, this state transition may be used tomodify the occupancy state 1956 of the environment 30. For example, whenthe state transition occurs and the camera 72 or other data-collectingdevice captures data indicative of occupancy within the environment 30,the occupancy status 1956 may be updated.

However, indications discernable from the smart-lock 1900 statusindicators may vary depending on occupant practices. In someembodiments, it may be desirable to combine other sensor informationwith a lock state transition to discern occupancy. For example, someoccupants may lock the smart-lock 1900 upon entering an environment 30.Accordingly, merely relying on a status transition may not beappropriate in some scenarios.

In some embodiments, these states and/or state transitions may be usedwith other sensor information, e.g., occupancy-relevant information froma camera 72, a thermostat 10A, a detector 10B, and/or other devices 10C.For example, a camera 72 or other data-collection device may be used tocapture data that indicates someone is leaving the environment 30. Thisindication, when followed by a transition from an unlocked state 1952 toa locked state 1954, may indicate that occupants have left theenvironment 30. Accordingly, an occupancy status 1956 of the environment30 may be adjusted more quickly and/or accurately. Further, whencaptured data indicates someone is entering and/or occupying theenvironment 30 and the state changes from a locked state 1954 tounlocked state 1952, the occupancy status 1956 may be updated.

The environment 30 occupancy status 1956 may be used for example, totransition a thermostat 10A that is in “Home” mode 1957 more accuratelyand/or quickly to an “Away” mode 1958. In some embodiments, upondetecting the departure of the occupants and/or arrival of occupants, auser may be prompted more quickly and/or accurately to transition to the“Away” mode and/or “Home” mode, respectively (e.g., on theirsmart-phone).

The environment 30 occupancy status 1956 may also be used for othertypes of device control. For example, when no one is occupying theenvironment 30, lights may be controlled to turn off and/or on forsecurity purposes and/or turn on periodically to give the impressionthat there are occupants in the environment 30. Further, in someembodiments, when occupancy status 1956 indicates there are nooccupants, cameras 72 may activate, providing increased security whilethe environment 30 is unoccupied.

In some embodiments, smart-lock 1900 may be controlled based upon datafrom other devices (e.g., thermostat 10A, detector 10B, and/or otherdevices 10C. For example, when the detector 10B detects smoke (e.g.,from a fire) and/or carbon monoxide, the smart-lock 1900 may beautomatically transitioned from a locked state 1954 to an unlocked state1952, enabling efficient emergency exit from the environment 30 and/ormore efficient access by emergency response teams. In such embodiments,the transition to the unlocked state 1952 may occur after a period ofun-acknowledgement of an alarm or may occur immediately upon an alarmtrigger. Additionally, in some embodiments, when the alarm of thedetectors 10B flash a certain color (e.g., red), then the smart-lock1952 may transition from the locked state 1954 to the unlocked state1952. In addition, lights or light-emitting-diodes in the smart-lock1952 may flash the same color as the detectors 10B during the alarmstate.

In some embodiments, a vacation status 1959 (e.g., indicated based upona vacation mode set at an alarm system, a thermostat 10A, etc.) mayresult in varied functionality at the smart-lock 1900. For example, thevacation status 1959, when set, may indicate that there is no expectedaccess to the environment 30 during a vacation duration. Thus, anyoperation of the smart-lock 1900 (e.g., transitioning from a lockedstate to an unlocked state) during the vacation duration may beunexpected and an alarm (e.g., at the smart-lock 1900, at the detector10B, or other device 10C) may be triggered. In some embodiments, a usermay be notified of the alarm event and/or operation of the smart-lock1900 and may be prompted to disable the alarm.

As may be appreciated from the above discussion, a multitude ofenvironmental appliances, fixtures, and control systems may interactwith the smart devices and/or smart environments 10. The cloud services145 provide a mechanism for facilitating such interactions.

Water Related Device Integration

In some embodiments, water related devices (e.g., smart faucet 1962,leak sensor 1963, a smart shower 1964, a shutoff valve 1965, a flowmonitor, pool pumps, pool heaters, and/or water heater system 1966) data(e.g., conditions) may be used to affect changes in other smart devices(e.g., a thermostat 10A, detectors 10B, cameras 72) and/or other smartdevices (e.g., a thermostat 10A, detectors 10B, cameras 72) may be usedto affect changes in the water related devices. FIG. 62 provides anillustration of an integration 1960 of the smart faucet 1962, the leaksensor 1963, the smart shower 1964, the shutoff valve 1965, and/or waterheater systems 1966 in the smart environment 10D. In some embodiments,the water related devices may be controlled based on data obtained viacloud services 145 related to the smart devices (e.g., thermostat 10A,hazard detector 10B, and/or camera 72). Further, the water relateddevices may provide information to smart devices (e.g., the thermostat10A, the hazard detector 10B, and or camera 72. The interaction betweenthe water related devices and the smart devices may be facilitated bythe cloud services 145.

For example, in certain embodiments, upon an active alarm triggeringfrom a hazard detector 10B or other activity (e.g., someone is at thedoor of the smart environment 10D), the smart shower 1964, smart faucets1962, and/or smart water heater systems 1966 may produce a temperaturechange in the water (e.g., produce cold water). The temperature changemay aid in notifying the occupant of the event.

For example, when an occupant is showering, this may encourage theoccupant to leave the shower, which may result in the occupant becomingaware of the active alarm and/or the person at the door.

Further, when the smart faucet 1962 and/or smart shower system 1964 isequipped with LEDs or other visual indication devices, the visualindicators may activate, notifying the occupants of the active alarms.For example, the smart shower may be equipped with a color changing LEDring. Upon detection of an active alarm, the LED ring may activate witha red color, indicating an active alarm. Additionally and/oralternatively, a less invasive color (e.g., blue or green) may beactivated when someone is at the door.

In some embodiments, the smart water heater 1966 may be synchronizedwith the occupancy status of the smart devices 10A, 10B, and 72. Forexample, when the occupancy status indicates that the smart devices arein an “AWAY” mode, then the smart water heater 1966 may stop heating thewater to conserve energy. Likewise, when the occupancy status indicatesthat the smart devices are in a “HOME” mode, then the smart water heater1966 may start heating the water so a user may obtain water relativelyquickly if so desired. In some embodiments, the smart water heater 1966may use a time-to-temperature algorithm to heat water prior to the userarrives at home using the ETA obtained via cloud services 145 related tothe smart devices 10A, 10B, and/or 72.

In some embodiments, a discernment may be made as to whether hot wateris being used, despite no occupancy or smart devices 10A, 10B, and/or10C being in “AWAY” mode. For example, when in “AWAY” mode, dishwashers,washing machines, etc., may still be using hot water. Accordingly, insuch scenarios, the smart water heater 1966 may remain active, until thehot water is no longer being used.

In some embodiments, during a Rush Hour Rewards event, the smart waterheater 1966 may initiate an energy savings mode by deactivating theheating of water or heating the water to a lesser, more energyefficient, temperature. Further, the smart water heater 1966 mayschedule when to activate and deactivate heating based upon the scheduleof temperature setpoints from the thermostat 10A, whether an emergencyis detected by the detector 10B (as discussed above), or the like. Itshould be appreciated that any of the water related devices may changeflow rates during the Rush Hour Rewards event.

In some embodiments, energy usage data and/or water usage data from thesmart water heater 1966 may be provided to the cloud services 145. Thecloud services 145 may incorporate the energy usage into an energy usagereport for the environment 30, which may report on energy usage, waterusage, etc. for a variety of components in the environment (e.g., HVACsystems, faucets, etc.).

In some embodiments, the leak sensor 1963 and the shutoff valve 1965 mayprovide information to the smart devices 10A, 10B, and/or 72, such aswhether water is leaking, how long the water has been leaking, how oftenthe water leaks, whether the shutoff valve has been used, how often theshutoff valve has been used, and the like. The smart devices 10A, 10B,and/or 72, may aggregate the information, package the information, andsend the information to insurance companies to aid the insurancecompanies in determining whether the environment is deserving of adiscount on a premium. For example, if the water does not leak and theshutoff valve has not been used, then the insurance company maydetermine that the premium for an insurance plan deserves a discount.

Further, in some embodiments, the shutoff valve 1965 and the leak sensor1963 may be synchronized with the occupancy status from the smartdevices 10A, 10B, and/or 72. For example, the leak sensor 1963 and theshutoff valve 1965 may use the occupancy status of whether the smartdevice is operating in a “HOME” or “AWAY” mode to differentiate betweenan emergency state and normal activity. For example, if the smartdevices are operating in the “AWAY” mode and the leak sensor 1963 and/orflow monitor detects that water is running from the faucet 1963, thenthe leak sensor 1963 may determine that there is an issue and notify theuser or a neighbor. Additionally, if the shutoff valve 1965 is triggeredwhen the mode of the smart devices is “AWAY,” then a notification of anissue may be sent to the user or a neighbor. In some embodiments, theleak sensor 1963 may include a one-touch emergency contact functionalitymay be triggered when there is a leak.

In some embodiments, pool pumps and/or pool heaters may be synchronizedwith the occupancy status of the smart devices 10A, 10B, and/or 72. Forexample, the pool pump and/or pool heater may deactivate when the smartdevices are in the “AWAY” mode or may activate when the smart devicesare in the “HOME” mode. Additionally, when the smart devices indicatethat there is a Rush Hour Rewards event, the pool pump and/or poolheater may deactivate to conserve energy and save money. In someembodiments, the pool pump and pool heater may be synchronized with theETA setting of the smart devices. For example, when the ETA is set, thepool heater may start heating the pool water so it is at a desiredtemperature when the user arrives.

Floor Heater Integration

In some embodiments, smart floor heating system data (e.g., conditions)may be used to affect changes in other smart devices (e.g., a thermostat10A, detectors 10B, cameras 72) and/or other smart devices (e.g., athermostat 10A, detectors 10B, cameras 72) may be used to affect changesin the smart floor heating systems. FIG. 62 provides an illustration ofan integration 1970 of smart floor heater (radiant floor heater) 1972and floor heater thermostat 1974 in the smart environment 10D. In someembodiments, the smart floor heater 1972 and/or floor heater thermostat1974 may be controlled based on data obtained via cloud services 145related to the smart devices (e.g., thermostat 10A, hazard detector 10B,and/or camera 72). Further, smart floor heater 1972 and/or floor heaterthermostat 1974 may provide information to smart devices (e.g., thethermostat 10A, the detectors 10B, and or camera 72). The interactionbetween the smart floor heater 1972 and/or floor heater thermostat 1974may be facilitated by the cloud services 145.

For example, when the smart devices 10A and 10B are in the “HOME” mode,the floor heater thermostat 1974 may turn on heating of the smart floorheater 1972 and/or set the temperature of the floor heater thermostat1974 to a user preferred temperature or a default temperature. Likewise,when the smart devices 10A and 10B enter the “AWAY” mode, the floorheater thermostat 1974 may turn off heating of the smart floor heater1974 or reduce the temperature of the smart floor heater 1974 to a moreenergy efficient temperature. Thus, in this way occupancy data obtainedfrom the smart devices 10A and 10B may be used to control the floorheater thermostat 1974 and the smart floor heater 1972.

Additionally, when the thermostat 10A is tracking predicted occupancyand/or predicted thermostat 10A settings (e.g., set points), the floorheater 1974 may be controlled in correlation with the thermostat 10A.For example, when it is predicted that an occupant likes to wake up to arelatively warmer set point than a set point prior to wake up, the floorheater may also be adjusted to turn on and/or programmed with a warmerset point based upon this prediction/scheduling of the thermostat 10A.This may be facilitated through the cloud services 145. In someembodiments, the configuration of the ambient air conditioning and thefloor conditioning may be somewhat inverse. For example, in someembodiments, it may be useful to heat a floor in a cold ambient airenvironment. Further, it may be useful to alleviate heat in a warmambient air environment, by reducing heat provided by the floor.Accordingly, the programming of the thermostat 10A may be used toimplement such configurations in the floor heater 1972 and/or the floorheater thermostat 1974 via the cloud services 145.

In some embodiments, occupancy in particular areas of an environment maybe used to control the floor heater 1972 or thermostat 1974. Forexample, when a camera 72, hazard detector 10B, and/or thermostat 10Adetects occupancy in a particular area of the environment, floor heatingin the particular area of the environment may be activated, while otherfloor heating in the environment that is not in the particular area isnot activated.

Further, in some embodiments, data or usage of the floor heaterthermostat 1974 may be provided to the smart devices (e.g., thethermostat 10A, the detectors 10B, and/or camera 72). For example, thefloor heater thermostat 1974 may send information indicating that a userhas manually adjusted the temperature or changed a power state of thesmart floor heater 1972 to the smart devices. Such information may beused by the smart devices to adjust the mode of the smart devices (e.g.,set the mode to “HOME”). Also, such information may aid the smartdevices in determining exactly where in the home the user is located.Thus, precision and granularity of the occupancy information used by thesmart device (e.g., the thermostat 10A, the detectors 10B, and or camera72) may be increased.

In some embodiments, the ETA variable of the smart devices (e.g., thethermostat 10A, the detectors 10B, and/or camera 72) may be used tocontrol the floor heater thermostat 1974. For example, when the usersets the ETA, the smart devices may provide the information to the floorheater thermostat 1974, which may begin heating the smart floor heater1972 so that the floor is at a user preferred temperature by the timethe user arrives at the building. Alternatively, the floor heaterthermostat 1974 and/or the smart floor heater 1972 may query the smartdevices (e.g., the thermostat 10A, the detectors 10B, and or camera 72)for the ETA to determine whether to start heating the smart floor heater1972. Thus, in some embodiments, the ETA variable me be readable, aswell as writable. In addition, the floor heater thermostat 1974 and/orthe thermostat 10, the detectors 10B, other smart devices 10C, and/orthe camera 72 may be connected to other smart devices via cloud services145 and may forward the ETA to the other devices so they can prepare forthe arrival of the user as well.

In some embodiments, energy usage of the floor heater 1972 may beobtained and provided to the cloud services 145. For example, anestimated usage may be calculated based upon an operational time of thefloor heater 1972. By providing the energy usage of the floor heater1972, the energy usage may be included in an energy usage report of aset of smart devices (e.g., an HVAC system controlled by thermostat10A).

Further, in some embodiments, the floor heater 1972 may be controlledbased upon demand events. For example, during peak grid usage, the floorheater 1972 may be controlled to off, such that power is not drawn bythe floor heater 1972 during the peak grid usage. Once the peak gridusage period is over, the floor heater 1972 may be controlled to on,such that power is drawn by the floor heater 1972.

Alarm Systems Integrations

In some embodiments, data from alarm systems (e.g., environment 30 alarmsystems 1976 and/or network security alarm and notification systems1978) may be used to affect changes in other smart devices (e.g., athermostat 10A, detectors 10B, cameras 72, or other smart devices 10C)and/or other smart devices (e.g., a thermostat 10A, detectors 10B,cameras 72, and other smart devices 10C) may be used to affect changesin the alarm systems (e.g., environment 30 alarm systems 1976 and/ornetwork security alarm and notification systems 1978). Network securityalarm and notification system 1978 may monitor for network malware,spyware, and the like.

For example, environmental alarms, notifications, and/or controls (e.g.,from thermostat 10A, hazard detector 10B, and/or camera 72) may beprovided for display at the network security alarm and notificationsystems 1978, via the cloud services 145. Accordingly, network alarmsand notifications from the network security alarm and notificationsystems 1978 may be presented along with environmental alarms,notifications, and/or controls provided from the cloud services 145.Conversely, network alarms and notifications from the network securityalarm and notification systems 1978 may be provided to the cloudservices 145. The environment 30 alarm 1976 may receive these networkalarms and notifications and may trigger an environment 30 alarm, basedupon received network alarms and notifications. Accordingly, theenvironment 30 alarm 1976 may sound a siren, flash lights, etc., when anetwork alarm, such as a network intrusion is detected by the networksecurity alarm and notification systems 1978.

Sensor Interaction

Turning now to a discussion of sensor interaction, some clients 182(e.g., electronic client devices) may act as sensors, which “sense”particular items. In some embodiments, wireless sensor data (e.g.,conditions) may be used to affect changes in a thermostat 10A and/ordetectors 10B or vis-versa. FIG. 51 provides an illustration ofrelational control between wireless sensors 2000 in the smartenvironment 30. The wireless sensors 2000 may be placed in any suitablelocation throughout the smart environment 30. For example, as shown inthe overhead view of the user's house, one wireless sensor 2000 isplaced in three rooms of the smart environment 30. The wireless sensors2000 may include proximity, motion, moisture, humidity, and temperaturesensors. The wireless sensors 2000 may use the wiring already installedin a home to send notifications to the user when certain conditions aredetected. For example, when a water leak is detected, the wirelesssensors 2000 may send a signal the user's mobile device 2002. In someembodiments, the sensors 2000 may provide the measured ambienttemperature of each room to a mobile device used by the user, thethermostat 10A, or both. The wireless sensors 2000 may provideinformation to smart devices 10A and/or 10B and/or central server orcloud-computing system 64 via cloud services 145.

In some embodiments, the multiple sensors 2000 may enable determiningoccupancy of specific rooms in a structure and customizing thetemperature for each room based on the occupancy data. Further, an appinstalled on the user's mobile device 2002 may receive the detectedconditions (humidity, temperature, moisture, etc.) from the wirelesssensors 2000 and enable the user to control the thermostat 10A. Forexample, a wireless sensor 2000 located in the living room may indicatethat the ambient temperature in the living room is 70° F., which may bedisplayed on a graphical user interface (GUI) of the mobile device 2002.The user may control the thermostat 10A to change the temperature asdesired in the living room. In some embodiments, the wireless sensors2000 may provide data to the thermostat 10A and/or cloud server 64 todetermine the ideal ambient temperature for the user in each room ateach time of day and night to provide comfort and/or energy efficiencyas desired.

Audio System/Speaker Integration

In some embodiments, a thermostat 10A and/or detector 10B condition maybe used for an audio system output and/or an audio system condition maybe used for the thermostat 10A and/or detectors 10B output. FIG. 52provides a system 2200 that integrates an audio system 2202 with smartdevices 10A and/or 10B. The audio system 2200 may consist of speakers2204, among other things. The audio system 2200 may be communicablycoupled directly to the smart devices 10A and 10B over a local areanetwork or indirectly via a wireless network and using the cloudservices 145.

In some embodiments, when the detector 10B detects an alarm condition,such as smoke detected and/or CO detected, the audio system 2202 (e.g.,all audible devices) may be deactivated, dimmed, or muted so that thealarm coming from the smoke detector 10B may be heard more clearly. Insome embodiments, a noise, such as a chime, may be emitted from thespeakers 2204 before muting them during emergency events. Additionallyor alternatively, the audio system 2202 may be used to broadcast thealarm, project a prerecorded alarm message, or the like, using thespeakers 2204 when the hazard detector 10B detects the alarm condition.The broadcasted alarm may be modified from the hazard detector LOB'salarm to be quieter, in synchronization, etc.

In some embodiments, activating or interacting with the audio system2202 may cause the smart devices 10A and/or 10B to enter the “HOME”mode. Also, when the smart devices 10A and/or 10B switch from the “AWAY”mode to the “HOME” mode, the audio system 2202 may activate and playmusic. In addition, audio feedback may be played from the speakers 2204of the audio system 2202 when the smart devices 10A and/or 10B switchfrom the “HOME” mode to the “AWAY” mode, music may be turned off, orsome combination thereof. In some embodiments, when the smart devices10A and/or 10B enter the “AWAY” mode, the audio system 2202 may powerthe speakers 2204 in a power saving mode and, when the smart devices 10Aand/or 10B enter the “HOME” mode, the audio system 2202 may wake up thespeakers 2204 and/or a wireless module.

Further, the wireless module may be consistently activated while theaudio system 2202 is activated to enable communication with the othersmart devices and/or the central server 64. Powering the audio system2202 down in certain scenarios, such as when the smart devices 10Aand/or 10B enter the “AWAY” mode may enable energy savings. The audiosystem 2202 may send energy consumption information to a central serveror a cloud-computing system 64 via cloud services 145 for reporting.

In some embodiments, the audio system 2202 may aid in home/away sensingfor the smart devices 10A and/or 10B. For example, infrared sensorsincluded in the speakers 2204, an amplifier, a sound bar, and/or thelike, may provide inputs via cloud services 145 to the smart devices 10Aand/or 10B when motion is detected in a structure, which may be used asan indicator to set the mode to “HOME”, via cloud services 145 and/orAPI(s). Also, inputs received by an application used by the audio system2202 may be sent to the smart devices 10A and/or 10B and/or centralserver 64, which may be used as an indicator to set the mode to “HOME”,via cloud services 145 and/or API(s).

Further, the video camera 72 conditions may be used to produce audiosystem 582 outputs. For example, when the video camera 72 detects orsees that a person is present in the structure, the user may use a videocamera app installed on a mobile device to speak through the speakers2204 to the person in the structure. This feature may use one or moreAPI(s) to enable communication between the video camera 72 and the audiosystem 2202. Additionally or alternatively, when the video camera 72sees someone in the house, a pre-recorded message may be played usingthe speakers 2204.

Further, in some embodiments, when motion is detected by the videocamera 72 (e.g., internal or external to the environment 3) and thereare no occupants in the environment 30 (e.g., when in “AWAY” mode), thespeakers 2204 and/or other smart devices may simulate occupancy. Forexample, a dog bark may be played through the speakers 2202, an AVsystem output may be played through the speakers 2202, etc.

In another embodiment, the audio system 2202 may access certain fieldsin a data model related to the smart devices 10A and/or 10B if properpermissions have been granted. For example, the audio system 2202 mayread the estimated time of arrival (ETA) field in the data model todetermine the length of time before the user will arrive and turn onaudio after that length of time expires.

FIG. 53 illustrates embodiments of audio system interaction with a smartenvironment 30. Smart audio systems may be controlled by manymechanisms. For example, as illustrated in the system 2210, speakers2212A-B are controlled via different mechanisms. Speaker 2212A is awireless speaker that is independently controlled. Speaker 2212B isattached to an audio bridge 2214 that is equipped with wirelesscommunications. Data 2216 may be provided from the smart devices (e.g.,10A, 10B, and/or 10C) to the cloud 145. This data 2216 may be useful incontrolling the speakers 2212A-B. For example, based upon the data 2216,control signals 2218 may be sent to the speakers 2212A-B (e.g., throughthe bridge 2214). For example, in one embodiment, when an audible alarmis triggered (e.g., by detector 10B or other devices 10C), as indicatedin the data 2216, a control signal 2218 may be sent to the speakers2212A-B (e.g., independently for speaker 2212A and/or via the bridge2214 for speaker 2212B) to reduce any audio that is outputted from thespeakers 10A-B and/or to output the audible alarm at the speakers 10A-B.By reducing the audio that is outputted from the speakers 10A-B and/oroutputting (e.g., broadcasting) the audio alarm at the speakers 10A-B,the occupants may be able to more clearly hear the audible alarm.Further, additional information may be outputted through the speakers10A-B. For example, low battery indications, intercom messages, etc. maybe sent to the speakers 10A-B.

In some embodiments, the speakers 10A-B may include data capturedevices. For example, speaker 10A may be equipped with a microphone2220. Data 2222 from the microphone 2220 and/or other data capturedevices may be used to provide control signals 2224 to the smart devices(e.g. thermostat 10A, detector 10B, and/or other devices 10C). In oneembodiment, voice commands may be captured by the microphone 2220, whichmay be translated into control signals 2224 associated with these voicecommands. Exemplary voice commands may include, “decrease temperature,”“increase temperature,” “set to ‘away’,” “set to ‘home’,” “turn offfan,” “turn on fan,” etc. Further, in some embodiments, status of smartdevices (e.g., thermostat 10A, hazard detector 10B, and/or other smartdevices 10C) may be presented via the speakers 2212 and/or 2214. Forexample, an alarm activation and/or deactivation status may be presentedby the speakers 2212 and/or 2214.

Wearables Interaction

In some embodiments, a wearable output may be used as a condition for athermostat 10A, hazard detector 10B, or other smart device 10C outputand/or a thermostat 10A, hazard detector 10B, and/or other smart device10C condition may be used for a wearable 2542 (e.g., smart wristband,smart bracelet, smart necklace, smart anklet, smart chest strap, smartwatch, smart collar) output. FIG. 24 provides a system 2540 wherewearables 2542 for humans and/or animal pets interact with smart devicesand/or smart environments 10.

In some embodiments, the wearable 2542 may send various information tothe smart devices 10A-C via the cloud services 145 and/or API(s)interfacing with the smart devices 10A-C. For example, in oneembodiment, a user may be outside running and the wearable 2542 mayinclude a button 2544 that, when pressed, sends an estimated time ofarrival (ETA) to the smart devices 10A and/or 10B based on a locationderived by a geographical position system (GPS) included in the wearable2544. The thermostat 10A may use the ETA to begin cooling the structureprior to the user arriving home so that the structure can assist incooling down the user upon arrival. That is, if the ETA sent from thewearable indicates the user will be arrive in 30 minutes, the thermostat10A may determine that the user prefers the house to be 70° F. after arun and it will take 20 minutes to cool the house to 70° F. Thus, after10 minutes expires, the thermostat 10A may begin cooling the house sothat the house is 70° F. when the user arrives in 30 minutes.

In another embodiment, boundaries may be used to create a geo-fence withwhich the wearable 2542 may interact. For example, as depicted, a homeboundary 2546 may be used and when the wearable 2542 exits the homeboundary 2546 the smart devices 10A and/or 10B may be set to “AWAY”mode, and when the wearable 2542 enters the home boundary 2546 the smartdevices 10A and/or 10B may be set to “HOME” mode. When the smart devices10A and/or 10B switch to the “HOME” mode (wearable inside the homeboundary 2546), the thermostat 10A may begin pre-cooling the structurefor the user's arrival. As may be appreciated, the wearable 2542 may beequipped by the user while on a run, walk, bike ride, etc. to pre-coolthe house or set it to “AWAY” mode. However, the wearable 2542 mayfunction similarly when equipped by a user in a vehicle.

Additionally, the wearable 2542 may include temperature sensors thatdetect the user's temperature. The wearable 2542 may send the user'stemperature to the thermostat 10A, which may adjust the thermostat 10Aaccordingly. For example, after the user returns from a run, their bodytemperature may be elevated and the thermostat 10A may lower thetemperature setpoint to cool down the user.

In some embodiments, the wearable 2542 may track when the user is asleepand awake and provide that data to the smart devices 10A and 10B. Usingthe sleep and wake time data, the thermostat 10A may begin pre-coolingor pre-heating a room to a desired temperature a configurable amount oftime (e.g., 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 minutes) before the user wakes up orbefore the user's alarm clock goes off. Likewise, the thermostat 10A maycool or heat the house to a preferred sleep temperature prior to theuser getting into bed. In some instances, the user may prefer certaintemperatures during certain stages of sleep and/or times of the night,which the wearable 2542 may track and provide to the thermostat 10A, andthe thermostat 10A may adjust the temperature setpoint accordinglythroughout a night. For example, if the occupant's sleep patternindicates that the occupant is exiting deep sleep, the thermostat may beadjusted to either subtly wake the occupant or encourage further deepsleep. That is, in some embodiments, by using the data from the wearable2542 obtained via the cloud services 145, the thermostat 10A may adjustthe temperature according to the user's sleep pattern to enable the userto continue sleeping comfortably.

Also, a notification may be sent to the wearable 2542 to output based ona condition of the detectors 10B or other unexpected events. Forexample, a notification may be sent to the wearable 2542 upon the alarmsystem status changing to an alarm state (e.g., in the case of smoke orCO detected) or upon an unexpected event that occurs when the occupantis not in the environment 10D (e.g., when the environment 10D mode is“AWAY”). The wearable 2542 may display the notification on a display,display the alarm by flashing a certain color, or make a certain audiblesound upon receipt of the notification. In some embodiments, thewearable 2542 may vibrate when the detectors 10B enter an alarm state.In some embodiments, the vibration may mimic audible alarms provided bythe hazard detectors 10B. For example, when the hazard detector provides2 beeps for smoke and 3 beeps for carbon monoxide detection, thewearable may vibrate 2 times for smoke and 3 times for carbon monoxidedetection.

In some embodiments, where the wearable 2542 is a smart watch, the smartwatch may include a graphical user interface (GUI) that enables the userto set the thermostat 10A mode (e.g., cooling, heating, ranged), set thetemperature, and/or activate/deactivate the fan. Further, the smartwatch may enable the user to set the away status of the smart devices10A and 10B to “HOME” or “AWAY”.

Further, in some embodiments where the wearable 2542 is equipped todetect up/down and/or left/right movement, the wearable 2542 may be usedto control the thermostat 10A. For example, left and/or right movementsmay result in cycling HVAC modes. Additionally, up/down movements mayincrease/decrease the set points of the thermostat 10A, respectively.Thus, the thermostat 10A settings may be modified without the use of agraphical user interface.

When the wearable 2542 is a smart collar for an animal/pet owned by theuser, such as a dog or a cat, certain data (e.g., conditions) may beused to set the output of the smart devices 10A and/or 10B. The wearable2542 for the pet may be capable of wireless communication over wirelessprotocols including Bluetooth low energy, Wi-Fi, etc. In someembodiments, when the pet is home as indicated by the wearable 2542(smart collar), the smart devices 10A and/or 10B may not switch to the“AWAY” mode. Additionally, if the pet is home as indicated by thewearable 2542 and the user is not home, then the thermostat 10A may setto a preferred temperature chosen for the pet.

Further, when the detectors 10B enter an alarm state (e.g., detect smokeand/or CO), a notification is sent to an app tailored for the petwearable 2542. All relevant people that are part of a pet-owner familymay receive the notification, such as all family members that own thepet, a pet walker, a neighbor, etc. As should be appreciated, the peopleincluded in the pet-owner family may be configured. The notificationsending may be based on whether the pet is detected as being home basedon data from the wearable 2542 and the detectors 10B are in an alarmstate.

In addition, the pet occupancy may be uploaded to the smart devices10A/10B and/or central server or cloud environment 64. In someembodiments, a video camera 72 may be used to confirm ownership of thepet. The pet occupancy information may enable inhibiting false motionnotifications caused by the pet motion, which may inhibit switching thehome/away mode incorrectly. Further, the video camera 72 may be used totransition the smart devices 10A and 10B between the home/away modes.For example, if the video camera 72 detects the pet, then the smartdevices 10A and/or 10B may be set to the “HOME” mode.

In some embodiments, pet monitoring may include monitoring a feedingschedule of the pet. In some embodiments, an automated feeder 2543 mayfeed pets at a particular schedule. As the wearable 2542 is in proximityto the automated feeder 2543, the camera 72 may capture images and/orvideo of the pet feeding at the automated feeder 2543. In someembodiments, triggering the image and/or video capture by the camera 72may not be dependent upon the wearable 2542. For example, the automatedfeeder may provide an indication of a feeding to the cloud services 145,which may trigger the capture of images and/or video by the camera 72.The camera 72 may provide a static image of the feeding and/or videofootage of the feeding (or a link to the video footage) to a feedinghistory app or other service via the cloud services 145.

Further, the wearable 2542 may include a Bluetooth tag that may be usedtrack people and/or pets as desired, such as kids, pets, and elderlypeople. The Bluetooth tag wearable 2542 may be used for emergencynotifications. For example, if the detectors 10B enter an alarm state(e.g., detect smoke and/or CO) and the Bluetooth tag wearable 2542indicates that the wearer (e.g., kid, pet, elderly) is at home, then thenotification to a user may include that information.

In some embodiments, when the wearable 2542 indicates that the wearerhas left the environment 10D, a camera 72 may be activated as a securitymeasure. Accordingly, if the wearer goes for a run the environment 10Dmay be monitored by the cameras 72 for unauthorized occupants. When thewearable 2542 indicates that the wearer has returned to the environment10D, the cameras 72 may be deactivated.

Baby Monitor

In another embodiment, a smart baby monitor data may be used as acondition for a thermostat 10A, smoke detector 10B, and/or camera 72outputs and/or a thermostat 10A, smoke detector 10B, or camera 72 data(e.g., conditions) may be used for a smart baby monitor output. FIG. 55provides a system 2660 that integrates a smart baby monitor 2662 withsmart devices 10A and/or 10B.

The smart baby monitor 2662 may be built into baby clothing (e.g.,onesie, shirt, sleep sack) and worn by a baby to monitor certain vitals(respiration, heart rate, temperature) as well as provide variousstimuli to the baby (e.g., vibrate, play music). In alternativeembodiments, the smart baby monitor 2662 may be a surface the baby is incontact with, such as a sleeping pad, crib sheet, etc. In someembodiments, the temperature of the baby may be sent from the smart babymonitor 2662 via the cloud services 145 or API(s) interfacing with thesmart devices 10A and/or 10B to the smart devices 10A and/or 10B and/orthe mobile devices 2664. The mobile devices 2664 may include a graphicaluser interface (GUI) 2666 that displays the baby temperature via anapplication tailored to receive input from the smart baby monitor 2662.Further, the mobile devices 2664 may include one or more applicationstailored to control the smart devices 10A and 10B via a communicationnetwork. As such, a user may receive the baby's temperature and adjustthe thermostat 10A in the application on the GUI 2666 based on thebaby's temperature.

One or more sensors on the smart baby monitor 2662 may detect movementof the baby. The movement signals may be sent to the smart devices 10Aand/or 10B, which may change the mode from “AWAY” or “AUTO-AWAY” to“HOME”. Thus, the data from the smart baby monitor 2662 may be used todetect occupancy of the structure since the presence of a baby in astructure may be highly indicative of caregivers present in thestructure.

In some embodiments, a pre-alarm and alarm system status may be changedbased on the status of the baby provided by the smart baby monitor 2662.For example, the alarms emitted by the smart device 10B (e.g., smoke andCO detector) may escalate (e.g., increase sound, flash different coloredlights, etc.) based on escalating problems with the baby detected by thesmart baby monitor 2662 (e.g., increased temperature, coughing due tosmoke, changed respiratory rate).

Additionally, in some embodiments, pre-alarm and alarm system status ofthe smart device 10B may be used as a condition to control the output ofthe smart baby monitor 2662. For example, when the smart device 10Benters an alarm state, the smart baby monitor 2662 may vibrate to aid inwaking up the child.

Alarm conditions may be more sensitive for baby-based vitals. Forexample, small body temperature drift in babies may have a greaterimpact than in adults. Accordingly, alarms may be triggered for smallerbody temperature drifts than temperature drifts observed in adultoccupants.

Further, in some embodiments, cameras 72 proximate to the baby may beactivated and/or deactivated based upon the movement and/or sounddetected by the smart baby monitor 2662. For example, when baby movementis detected, the cameras 72 proximate to the baby may be activated. Whenthe movement stops, the cameras 72 may be deactivated.

Further, using boundaries (e.g., geo-fencing radius), such as a homeboundary 2668, or a mobile device boundary 2664, the smart baby monitor2662 and the smart devices 10B may coordinate to prevent certainundesirable events (e.g., kidnapping). For example, when the smart babymonitor 2662 leaves the home boundary 2668 and/or phone boundary 2664,then the smart device 10B may sound an alarm and/or a notification maybe sent to an application on the connected mobile device 2664. This mayinhibit a child from being kidnapped when the user has his phone in adifferent room than the child and the child exits the phone boundary2670 or when the child has been taken outside of the home boundary 2668.Additionally, using the boundaries (2668 and 2670) and the smart babymonitor 2662 may inhibit children from running away or simply leavingthe house unattended by sounding the alarm of the smart device 10Band/or sending an alert to the mobile device 2664 as they exit the homeboundary 2668 and/or phone boundary 2670.

In some embodiments, the smart baby monitor 2662 may provide informationrelated to the location of the baby wearing the smart baby monitor 2662to the smart devices 10A and/or 10B. As a result, the smart devices 10Aand/or 10B may adjust their sensitivity (e.g., become more sensitive) tothe location of the baby. For example, the thermostat 10A may becomemore sensitive to providing a comfortable temperature and inhibittemperature drift in a room where the baby is located.

The smart baby monitor 2662 may also be used as a condition to theoutput of a smart video camera 72. For example, when the smart babymonitor 2662 detects that the baby is moving, the baby's temperatureexceeds a threshold amount, the baby's breathing becomes irregular, etc.the smart video camera 512 may be activated to enable a user to view thechild. Further, in some embodiments, cases may be designed with socketsthat fit the smart video cameras 72 and the cases may be attachable tocertain objects, such as baby cribs.

In certain embodiments, correlation between the smart baby monitor 2662,a thermostat 10A, a camera 72, and or other devices 10C may be useful.For example, in one embodiment, information regarding activation of anHVAC system may be ascertained from the thermostat 10A. Audio and/orvideo from the camera 72 may be used to detect baby motion correlatedwith the activation of the HVAC system, sound events (e.g., excessivesounds, alarms, etc.) that occur proximate to the activation of the HVACsystem, etc. Further, the smart baby monitor 2662 can be used to monitorbaby movement, vitals, etc. of the baby upon activation of the HVACsystem and/or upon the occurrence of sound events.

Correlation of this information may help to ascertain whether activationof the HVAC system is affecting the sleep patterns of the baby. Forexample, this correlated information may be used to discern that ababy's sleep is being interrupted by HVAC noise pollution, over and/orunder conditioning an environment via the HVAC system, or both.

Additionally, the cameras 72 may record the baby during movementdetected by the smart baby monitor 2662. In some instances, anotification may be sent via the cloud services 145 when a baby isrestless and/or woken, as detected and indicated to the cloud services145 by the smart baby monitor 2662.

Sleep-Aide Interaction

New sleep-aide devices are becoming available in the marketplace.Interactions between these aides and the smart devices and/or smartenvironment 10 may be possible using the cloud services 145. Forexample, in some embodiments, a smart bed cover may be used as acondition for a thermostat 10A and/or smoke detector 10B output and/or athermostat 10A and/or smoke detector 10B condition may be used for asmart bed cover output. FIG. 43 provides a system 2700 that integrates asmart bed cover 2702 and a smart bedside sleep detector 2704 with smartdevices 10A and/or 10B.

In some embodiments, the smart bed cover 2702 may provide data to thethermostat 10A and/or 10B to save energy. For example, the smart bedcover 2702 may detect, via one or more sensors, that the user hasentered the bed at a certain time and transmit that information via thecloud services 145 and/or API(s) interfacing with the smart devices 10Aand 10B. In response, the thermostat 10A may use the data as a conditionto focus the temperature regulation of the structure to the bedroomwhere the user is sleeping. That is, the thermostat 10A may focus thecomfort regulation efforts on the bedroom while allowing the other roomsof the structure to change to a more efficient temperature at thatparticular time of night. As a result, the HVAC system may employ lesselectricity and the user may save money on the utility bill.

In another embodiment, the smart bed cover 2702 may provide data to thethermostat 10A and/or 10B to set and maintain an ideal sleeptemperature. For example, the smart bed cover 2702 may detect, via oneor more sensors, that the user has entered the bed at a certain time andtransmit that information via the cloud services 145 and/or API(s)interfacing with the smart devices 10A and 10B. In response, thethermostat 10A may use the data as a condition to set the temperature inthe bedroom to the user's ideal sleep setting, which may be determinedbased on the user's response to various temperatures as detected andtransmitted via the smart bed cover 2702. For example, the smart bedcover 2702 may detect that the user sweats at a particular temperatureusing a galvanic skin response (GSR), or the like. Thus, the thermostat10A may determine not to set that particular temperature that causes theuser to sleep. It should be understood, that the user's internal bodytemperature may change during different stages of sleep (e.g., rapid eyemovement vs. non-rapid eye movement) and the thermostat 10A may maintainthe ideal temperature based on data received from the smart bed cover2702, among other sources. This may provide the benefit of the usersleeping better without having interruptions from being too hot or toocold.

In another embodiment, the smart bed cover 2702 may provide data to thethermostat 10A and/or 10B to set the wake up temperature. For example,the smart bed cover 2702 may detect, via one or more sensors, that theuser wakes up at a certain time and send that information via the cloudservices 145 and/or API(s) interfacing with the smart devices 10A and10B. In response, the thermostat 10A may use the data as a condition tobegin warming up the bedroom a configurable amount of time before theuser wakes up (e.g., 30 minutes prior) based on a known amount of timeto heat the room to a desired temperature. In other embodiments, if theuser has set an alarm to a particular time (e.g., 6 AM), then thethermostat 10A may begin warming the room a configurable amount of timeprior to the alarm time so that the user may step out of bed comfortablywhen the alarm sounds.

In another embodiment, the smart bed cover 2702 may provide data to thethermostat 10A and/or 10B to determine occupancy of a structure. Forexample, the smart bed cover 2702 may detect, via one or more sensors,that the user is present in the bed (e.g., under or on top of the smartbed cover 2702) and send that information via the cloud services 145and/or API(s) interfacing with the smart devices 10A and 10B. The smartdevices 10A and 10B may determine occupancy based on the motion data andcan use that data to set “HOME” mode, “AWAY” mode, or “AUTO-AWAY” mode.That is, if there is movement detected via the smart bed cover 2702,then occupancy in the house may be determined and the bed may not beheated unless the house is occupied.

In some cases, the motion data may be collected and profiled for thepeople that use the smart bed cover 2702 and for one or more animalsthat interact with the cover 2702. In this way, an animal (e.g., a dog)that jumps on the bed may be detected as a false positive and not causeoccupancy to be detected, thereby inhibiting changing from “AWAY” modeto “HOME” mode by mistake. Further, the smart bed cover 2702 may uploadthe energy used to be reported. Also, the smart bed cover 2702 mayupload the sleep status via the cloud services 145 and/or API(s) to beused in occupancy determinations.

The smart bedside sleep detector 2704 may track the user's sleep, suchas the different cycles of sleep the user is in throughout the night.The sleeping information may be sent via the cloud services 145 and/orAPI(s) to the smart devices 10A/10B and/or any other smart device in thesmart environment 30 and used to gently wake the user at the mostoptimal time in the user's sleep cycle by slowly brightening the lights,cooling the temperature to a desired temperature in the bedroom, playingdesired music at a low decibel level, and so forth. For example, in someembodiments, the thermostat 10A may set the temperature to a preferredtemperature when the user goes to sleep and/or wakes up based on thedata output from the smart bedside sleep detector 2704.

In some embodiments, the smart bedside sleep detector 2704 may include alight that may display any suitable color. When the detectors 10B enteran alarm state, the light of the smart bedside sleep detector 2704 mayturn red to indicate there is an emergency.

It should be understood that, in some embodiments, third parties maydesire access to the information obtained in the derived home data 88and/or home data 82 from the smart bed cover 2702 and, based onpermissions granted by a user and/or business arrangements, theinformation may be provided.

When the sleep aides (or other smart devices) indicate that theoccupants are asleep, additional security measures may be desired. Insome embodiments, when the system discerns that the occupants areasleep, the cameras 72 may be activated to monitor the environment 10D.Thus, an added level of security may be provided during the occupants'sleep cycles.

Service Interaction

In some embodiments, services may interact with the smart devices and/orsmart environment 10 via the cloud services 145. For example, in someembodiments, an Internet-based service provider may control and/orreceive data from the smart devices and/or smart environment 10. Thefollowing discussion relates to a variety of service interactionembodiments made possible via the cloud services 145 (e.g., the API 90).

Condition Based Access and/or Control Services

In some embodiments, the API(s) 90 and/or the cloud services 145 may beused to enable condition based access and/or control. For example,conditional rules may be generated based upon information receivedand/or sent to and/or received from the API(s) 90. In one example,conditional rule generation may occur from a website, such as a sitethat enables plugging in of conditions and outputs from a variety ofdifferent sources. In some examples, dedicated machine-readable codehaving conditional rule generation instructions may be stored on atangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium and executed by amachine.

In some embodiments, conditional rules may be created where the smartdevices 10A and/or 10B are affected as an output of the rule. FIG. 57illustrates an example of a conditional rule 3000 where the output 3002is access and/or control of one or more features of the smart devices10A and/or 10B. For example, an output 3002 for a thermostat 10A may bechanging a mode (e.g., “HOME” or “AWAY”) for the thermostat, changing adesired temperature level of the thermostat, setting a fan to on or off,changing a fan speed, changing a temperature adjustment system (e.g.,setting heat to cool or vice versa), etc. Example outputs 3002 relatingto a smoke detector and/or carbon monoxide detector (e.g., device 10B)may be activating/deactivating alarms, activating/deactivating audio,activating/deactivating lighting, activating/deactivating motionsensors, etc.

The conditions 3004 used to control the outputs 3002 need not be sourcedfrom the smart devices accessed and/or controlled by the outputs 3002.In some embodiments, the conditional rules 3000 may be based uponconditions sourced from an external data source 3006 (e.g., external tothe smart devices 10A and/or 10B). For example, FIG. 13 illustrates aconditional rule 3000 where the condition(s) 3004 is sourced from anexternal source 3006. For example, the external data source 3006 mayinclude a weather service, social media site (e.g., check-inannouncement), electronic-calendar (e.g., Google calendar), geo-fencingapplication, utility company rate schedule, an electronic device (e.g.,an alarm clock), etc.

In some embodiments, conditional rules may be based upon informationsourced from the smart devices 10A (e.g., thermostat) and/or 10B (e.g.,smoke and/or carbon monoxide detector). Further, though the source forthe condition 3004 may be the smart devices 10A and/or 10B, the outputs3002 may be external to the smart devices 10A and/or 10B. For example,FIG. 14 illustrates a conditional rule 3010 where the output 3002 is anexternal output 3012 and the inputs 3001 are sourced from data providedby the thermostat 10A and/or smoke and/or carbon monoxide detector 10B.In some embodiments, both the inputs 3001 and the outputs 3002 relate tothe smart devices 10A and/or 10B.

Example conditions 3004 that may be sourced from the thermostat 10A mayinclude: any device operation status 156 of the thermostat, a mode(e.g., “HOME” and/or “AWAY”) of the thermostat, an ambient temperatureof the thermostat, an amount of periodic temperature change, etc.Example conditions 3004 that may be sourced from the smoke and/or carbonmonoxide detector 10B may include: an operating status 156 of thedevice, an active smoke alarm, and active carbon monoxide alarm, lowdevice battery level, etc.

Having now discussed basic conditional rules (e.g., 3000 and 3010) usingthe thermostat 10A and/or smoke/carbon monoxide detector 10B, thefollowing are examples of conditional rules that may be useful forimplementation within a smart environment. In one embodiment, data froman activity monitor, such as an electronic wristband that tracks vitalstatistics may be used to provide a condition for a conditional rule.For example, when the activity monitor detects that an activity levelsuggests that the user is sleeping, a conditional output may set thedesired temperature to a desired sleep temperature. When the activitylevel suggests that the user is awake, the output may set the desiredthermostat temperature to an awake temperature.

In certain embodiments, a conditional output may correspond to smartlighting. For example, the lighting may be turned off when thethermostat 10A enters an “AWAY” mode. This helps to ensure that energyis not wasted while no one is in the home. Further, when the thermostat10A enters “HOME” mode, the lighting may be re-activated (perhaps in thesame configuration as when it was turned off, or a new configuration,such as lighting only the front foyer where access to the home typicallyoccurs). Additionally, lighting colors may change based upon conditionsfrom the devices 10A and/or 10B. For example, it has been shown that thecolor red may provide visibility benefits when smoke and/or gaseousconditions. Accordingly, color-changing lights may be transitioned tored when an alarm from the smoke/carbon monoxide detector 10B is active.In some embodiments, the outputs of the smart lights may be configuredby the user for different conditions sourced by the smart devices 10Aand/or 10B.

In some embodiments, additional notifications may be provided viaconditional rules. For example, a rule may trigger a text message,email, voice call, etc. to family, friends, neighbors, home-owners, etc.when a smoke alarm and/or a carbon monoxide alarm is triggered. Further,when a television, receiver, etc. is operating at a high decibel level,it may be beneficial to mute or lower the decibel volume to ensure thatactive alarms are heard. Accordingly, a conditional rule may mute orlower decibel levels of one or more devices if an alarm of the detector10B is active. In some instances, this may be done in conjunction with aprogrammable remote control. In some embodiments, a notification may besent to the user's handheld device when the smart devices 10A and/or 10Bbattery is low.

Further, when an emergency and/or other hazard is detected by thedetector 10B, a television may display visual notifications overlaid onthe image currently being displayed on the screen. The notification maybe prominently displayed to grab the viewer's attention. Additionally,audio may be used in conjunction with the visual notifications. Forexample, a beep or loud noise may be provided via a speaker of thetelevision. In addition, another rule may trigger upon an eventoccurring in an activity zone that is monitored by the video camera 72.When such an event occurs, the television may display a visualnotification (e.g., via a picture-in-picture live feed) from the videocamera 72 of the activity zone.

As mentioned above, a weather service may provide conditions 3004 for aconditional rule. For example, when the weather service reports anextremely hot and/or humid day, the desired temperature of thethermostat 10A may be adjusted as a conditional rule output. Thus, thethermostat 10A may become highly customizable for a user's desiredpreferences.

In some embodiments, the inputs that may trigger conditional rules maybe sourced from the smart devices 10A, 10B, and/or 10C or from servicesand/or devices external to the home environment 30. Additionally, theinputs that trigger the conditional rules may be zone or area (e.g.,city, county, street, etc.) specific instead of individual structurespecific. Likewise, the outputs of the conditional rule may be similarin that they may be applicable to zone or areas as opposed to individualstructures. These types of conditional rules may provide situationalawareness that enable automatic performance of an action or prompting auser to perform an action. For example, a third-party service or devicemay determine that a certain event has occurred or is occurring in azone or area in which the home of the user of smart devices 10A, 10B,and/or 10C is located. As a result, an action may be performedautomatically on the smart devices 10A, 10B, and/or 10C and/or a promptfor action on the smart devices 10A, 10B, and/or 10C may be provided tothe user. That is, in some embodiments, events or data from outside ofthe environment 30 may be used to proactively take action.

To illustrate, the weather service may receive data that a hurricane,tornado, or fire is near an area (e.g., street or neighborhood block) inof the environment 30. As a result, the weather service may querycertain statuses from the smart devices 10A, 10B, and/or 10C, such asthe battery life of the smart devices 10A, 10B, and/or 10C, and notifythe respective users of the battery life of the detectors 10B in theirhomes. Additionally, the service may check any video cameras 72 todetermine whether they are operational, may send snapshots using thecameras 72 over a desired interval (e.g., every 10 minutes, 15 minutes),enable the user to subscribe to additional motion notifications, and thelike.

In another example, if an unauthorized intrusion has occurred in a housein the area of the environment 30, a push notification may be sent tothe smart devices 10A, 10B, and/or 10C, which may be configured to entera security lock down state. In such a state, the smart locks may ensurethat locks are actuated, the video cameras 72 may be turned on as amonitoring precaution, and occupancy simulation may be implemented(e.g., speakers may emit music, lights may be turned on, etc.). In someembodiments, a third-party service may check the status of the smartdevices 10A, 10B, and/or 10C and prompt the user to approve certainactions. For example, the service may detect that three of the usersvideo cameras 72 are turned off and ask the user if he or she wants thecameras to be turned on. If the user confirms, then the service mayactivate the respective cameras 72.

In another example, a third-party service may detect a gas leak in thearea and may check the status of the detectors 10B in the homeenvironments in that area. The service may notify the user if thebattery levels are low or if any of the detectors 10B are notoperational. Additionally, when a certain number of detectors 10B in anarea detect carbon monoxide (or other hazard), an alert may be sent tothe other users of detectors 10B in the area to evacuate their premisesand/or may check the status of the detectors 10B. In some embodiments, anotification of the detected carbon monoxide (or other hazard) may beprovided to local remediation authorities, as a proactive measure.

In another example, a user may set energy preferences, indicating adesire to save money by saving power when demand is high (e.g., when thecost of energy is high). Third-party services may providerecommendations and/or prompts to help the user save money. For example,the third-party service may have access to energy time-of-day costs andmay analyze the setpoint schedule of the user's thermostat 10A. Theservice may determine that the user may save money by changing thesetpoint at certain times and may provide the notification to the user.The user may accept the recommendation and the service may modify thesetpoint schedule of the thermostat 10A.

Accordingly, as may be appreciated there may be many area specificinputs, that when provided to the cloud services 175, trigger executionof automatic actions (e.g., security related actions) on particularsmart devices (e.g., 10A, 10B, and/or 10C). Further, many area specificinputs may trigger prompting for the execution of actions on the smartdevices 10A, 10B, and/or 10C. The user may receive a notification of theinput that triggered the output. For example, in the security lock downstate example discussed above, the user may be provided a notificationthat a reported unauthorized intrusion caused the lock down state.

Outputs 3002 related to mode changes in the thermostat 10A may beimplemented by conditions sourced from social media data. For example, a“check-in” on Google Hangouts may suggest that a homeowner is not homeand that an “AWAY” mode should be set. Accordingly, a rule may begenerated to set the mode of the thermostat 10A to “AWAY” if there is acheck-in outside of the home.

The geo-fencing applications (discussed in FIGS. 8 and 9 may also beused as conditions for the conditional rules. For example, an outputaltering the mode of the thermostat 10A to “AWAY” may be triggered whenexiting the boundary 200A. The thermostat 10A mode may be altered to“HOME” when entering the boundary 200A.

In some examples, other smart devices within the home may triggeroutputs of the smart devices 10A and/or 10B. For example, when motionsensing smart light bulbs and/or other motion sensing devices detectmovement within the home, the thermostat 10A mode may be set to “HOME.”

In one embodiment, particular keywords or contextual identifiers may beused as conditions 3004 that trigger an output 3002. For example, when aGoogle calendar appointment suggests that a climate-controlledenvironment will be unoccupied, the thermostat may be controlled to gointo “AWAY” mode. For example, when a calendar entry includes thekeywords “Out of Office,” “OOO,” “Vacation,” etc., the “AWAY” modeoutput may be triggered at the thermostat 10A.

Further, particular keywords may be provided by a user speaking thekeywords into an app on a user's mobile device. The particular keywordsmay be used as conditions 3004 that trigger an output 3002, such assetting the temperature up or down. For example, when the user says “set[the thermostat the temperature] to nn degrees”, the thermostat 10A maychange the setpoint accordingly. The keywords “turn on the heat” maycause the thermostat to raise the setpoint 1° C. above the currentambient temperature. If the thermostat 10A is in the range mode, thenthe thermostat 10A may change both the low and the high setpoints 1° C.higher than the current low and high setpoints.

Another voice command may include the keywords, “turn on the [airconditioning|cooling|AC]”. Saying these keywords to the app may causethe thermostat 10A to set the setpoint temperature 1° C. below thecurrent ambient temperature and, if in range mode, the thermostat 10Amay change both the low and the high setpoint to 1° C. below the currentambient temperature.

The user may also say keywords to set the smart devices 10A/10B to“HOME” and “AWAY” mode. For example, when the user is outside of thehome and wants to set the smart devices 10A/10B to “AWAY” mode, the usermay say “set nest to away”, and the app may call the cloud services 145and/or API(s) 90 to set the smart devices 10A/10B to the “AWAY” mode.Additionally, when the user is coming home and wants to set the smartdevices 10A/10B to the “HOME” mode, the user may say “set nest to home”and the app may call the cloud services 145 and/or API(s) 90 and set thesmart devices 10A to the “HOME” mode.

In some embodiments, when the thermostat 10A transitions to “HOME,”audio playback may be triggered. Further, when the thermostat 10Atransitions to “AWAY,” music playback may be halted. Additionally,activating music playback on a device within the home may automaticallytrigger a command to enable “HOME” mode on the thermostat 10A.

When multiple thermostats 10A and/or detectors 10B exist within a home,each of the thermostats 10A and/or detectors 10B may accessed by aunique identifier. Accordingly, a condition 3004 and/or output 3002 maybe specifically tied to a particular one or many of the thermostats 10Aand/or detectors 10B.

Booking Service

In some embodiments, booking service data (e.g., conditions) may be usedto control smart devices and/or smart environments 10 (e.g., thermostat10A and/or detectors 10B). FIG. 59 illustrates such a system 3400. Abooking service 3402, such as a hotel or Bed and Breakfast website mayenable reservations for one or more particular rooms. For example, thebooking service 3402 includes a listing 3404 of available Bed andBreakfast locations for a particular location. Further, the listing 3404may include an indicator 408 for smart locations that may bepersonalized for a user's particular desires or otherwise includes smartdevice capabilities.

When a location 3406 is selected, additional details about the location3406 are provided. In the current embodiment, an availability calendar3408 is provided. Further, because the selected location is apersonalized location, additional prompts 3410 may be provided. Forexample, an alarm prompt 3412 may enable a user to input an alarm codethat is easy for the user to remember. An environment prompt 3414 mayenable the user to input particular environmental settings such as adesired arrival temperature, etc. In some embodiments, the alarm and/orenvironmental settings (or any other customizable settings) may bepre-populated or obtained from the user's home 3418 (or other location)settings. For example, if the user maintains a 78 degree temperaturewhen awake and occupying the house and a 73 degree temperature whensleeping and occupying the house, these temperature settings mayautomatically be sent and implemented at the user's booked room 3420.

In some embodiments, based upon the dates selected in the bookingservice 3402, the cloud services 145 may provide the settings input atthe prompts 3410 and/or the settings obtained from the house 3418. Thus,if the user booked a rental from December 1 through December 10, theuser's settings may be automatically implemented via the cloud service145 during those time periods. This may enable a user to provide anpreferred temperature that may override a default temperature of thethermostat 102 (e.g., provided by the lessor).

Additionally, smart device notifications, such as active alarms of thedetector 10B and/or smart device control, such as temperature control,door lock control, etc., may be temporarily provided to the user (e.g.,via a guest system 3422, such as the user's smart phone, etc.) duringthe booked time period.

The temporary notification and control may be provided based upon atemporary account that is setup with the control and/or notificationservices provider (e.g., the provider of the API 90). For example, insome embodiments, the booking service 3402 may provide the temporarybooking information to the cloud 145, which may automatically generate atemporary account that is valid for accessing and/or controlling smartdevices and/or smart device data during the booked time period providedby the temporary booking information. Using this temporary account, theuser (e.g., guest) may be able to receive temporary smoke and/or COnotifications from the detector 103 and/or may be able to control and/orreceive notifications from the thermostat 102.

Control and/or notifications may be provided based upon a location ofthe guest and/or the guest system 3422. In some embodiments, certaincontrol functions may be disabled, when the guest is not at and/or nearthe room 3420. For example, geo-fencing, an estimated time of arrival,etc. may be used to ascertain the guest's location in relation to theroom 3420. The guest may be blocked from setting the thermostat 102 to“home” mode, when not near the room 3420.

In some embodiments, temporary access to camera 72 feeds of the room3420 may be provided to the guest during their booking. When the camera72 is active and/or activates, a notification may be provided in theroom 3420. For example, a voice announcement of the speaker of thecamera 72 or detector 103 may announce that the camera 72 is recording.

Additionally, in some embodiments, ease of room 3420 access may beprovided by generation of a temporary key (e.g. personal identificationnumber (PIN)) or other temporary access device (near fieldcommunications, Bluetooth communications, etc.) for a smart lock 3426 ofthe room 3420. For example, during the booking time period a temporarykey may be provided to the guest (e.g., via email and/or MMS messagingto the guest system 3422). Additionally, a temporary key may be providedto service employees during their expected occupancy.

In some embodiments, when a guest (or other expected occupant) losestheir temporary key, an additional key may be requested (e.g., via theguest system 3422). Upon receiving the request, the system 3400 maygenerate a new temporary key and revoke the old temporary key.

Further, the user's home may be controlled during the booked time period(e.g., by placing the user's home in “AWAY” mode during the booked timeperiod) and the user may be notified of unexpected events (e.g., whentheir home devices detect occupancy while they are expected to be away(e.g., notify the user that their home thermostat transitioned to “HOME”while they are away)).

This functionality may also benefit the lessor by providingbooking-based control and/or notification, which may result in increasedsecurity and/or energy efficiency. For example, in somebooking-based-control embodiments, the booking service 3402 is aware oftimes when there is no occupancy in the room 3420. Accordingly, theavailability calendar 3408 may be used to control smart devices withinthe room 3420. For example, in some embodiments, based upon the bookinginformation (e.g., provided by the availability calendar 3408), controlto set the thermostats 10A to “AWAY” during periods where there is nooccupancy may be performed. Further, in systems where a camera 72 ispresent, the system 3400 may take a snapshot of the room 3420 prior tothe expected arrival and/or after the expected departure (e.g., fordamage analysis).

In some embodiments, the camera 72 may activate when no occupants areexpected and/or no occupants are detected in the room 3420. The cameramay turn off when the guest arrives at the room 3420 (e.g., asdetermined based upon the booking data, occupancy sensors, etc.).Further, the cameras 72 may activate when an alarm (e.g., a smoke and/orCO alarm activates or pre-alarms, such that the cause of the alarmand/or pre-alarm may be more-easily discernable. In some embodiments,only the cameras 72 in proximity to the activated alarm and/or pre-alarmwill be activated. The cameras 72 may take video and/or still imageshots upon activation. In some embodiments, the camera 72 may take apicture of the room 3420 before the guests arrive and after the guestsdepart to analyze whether any damage was done to the room, determinewhether any items were stolen, and the like.

Further, the system 3400 may provide notifications based upon thebooking parameters. For example, in some embodiments, the bookingservice 3402 may be aware (e.g., based upon the booking information) ofwhen the guests, service employees (e.g., housekeeping), etc. will beexpected to occupy the room 3420. Additionally, facial recognition maybe implemented using data from the camera 72 to discern expectedoccupants of the room 3420. Based upon these expected occupancies, thesystem 3400 may provide notifications (e.g., to a system 3428 of thelessor (e.g., the room host)). For example, the system 3400 may send anotification 3430 when the guest first arrives in the room 3420.Additionally, the system 3400 may detect an unexpected number ofoccupants in the room 3420 (e.g., based upon occupancy sensors and/ordata provided by the thermostat 102, the detector 103, and/or the camera72) and may provide a notification 3432 of the unexpected number ofoccupants. Further, the system 3400 may provide a notification 3434 whenclimate control falls outside expected bounds (e.g., +/−20 degrees ofthe default temperature).

Building Maintenance Services

FIG. 64 illustrates Building Maintenance Services 4100 that may providea dashboard 4102 or other view that accesses data via the cloud services145. For example, a hotel may obtain and display the thermostat 10Astate 4104, detectors 10B status 4106, and/or other information at aglance for multiple rooms of the hotel. Further, control data may beprovided from the Building Maintenance Services to the thermostat 10A,the detector 10B, and/or other smart devices 10C, via the cloud services145. Accordingly, the Building Maintenance Services 4100 may activelycontrol and/or monitor thermostat 10A, detectors 10B, and or other smartdevices 10C, at a single computer.

Voice Over IP (VOIP) Service Interaction

In some embodiments, VoIP phone system output may be used as a conditionfor a thermostat 10A and/or smoke detector 10B output and/or athermostat 10A and/or smoke detector 10B condition may be used for VoIPphone system output. FIG. 60 provides a system 3560 that integrates aVoIP phone system 3562 with smart devices 10A and/or 10B. It should benoted that although a VoIP phone system is used in the currentdiscussion, any phone system for a business or home that is enabled toconnect to the Internet or a local area network may be used.

In some embodiments, the VoIP phone system 3562 may access certain datarelated to the smart devices 10A and 10B via the cloud services 145and/or API(s) interfacing with the smart devices 10A and 10B. Forexample, the VoIP phone system 562 may access data related to whetherthe smart devices 10A and 10B are in the “HOME” mode, “AWAY” mode, or“AUTO-AWAY” mode. When the smart devices 10A and/or 10B change from“HOME” mode to “AWAY” mode or “AUTO-AWAY” mode, the VoIP phone system3562 may automatically forward incoming calls to a pre-configured phonenumber (e.g., the user's cell phone). When the smart devices 10A and 10Bchange modes from “AWAY” mode or “AUTO-AWAY” mode to “HOME” mode, theVoIP phone system 3562 may turn off the call forwarding feature andincoming calls may be received via the user's home telephone number.

Further, in some embodiments, voice notifications may be provided usingthe VoIP phone system 3562 based on data (e.g., conditions) of the smartdevices 10A and/or 10B. For example, when any detector 10B in the system3560 change an alarm system state to “emergency” and stays in that statefor a configurable amount of time (e.g., 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 seconds,the VoIP phone system 3562 may call the user on a pre-configured phonenumber (e.g., the user's cell phone). Once answered, the VoIP phonesystem 3562 may play a pre-recorded voice message letting the user knowwhat alarm states have been trigged (smoke, CO, or both) and may alsopresent a pre-recorded voice message where the user will have the optionto enter “911” to initiate a 911 call from their VoIP phone system 3562and have the call patched through on the existing call. Since the 911call originates from the VoIP phone system 3562, the call mayautomatically be routed to the user's local public safety answeringpoint (PSAP) where the authorities have address and location informationof the user's home. This may allow emergency response personnel toresponse much more quickly than if the 911 call had been placed from theuser's cell phone. The user may also have the option to pause the VoIPphone system 3562 prompt to check other sensors/services to verify thealarm condition. This feature may operate regardless of the smartdevices' home/away status.

Additionally, in some embodiments, check-in monitoring may be enabledusing the VoIP phone system 3562 and data obtained from the smartdevices 10A and 10B. For example, the user may configure a scheduleduring which a structure's away state should be set to “HOME” at somepoint during the configured time window. That is, the user may expecttheir kids to come home between 3-4 PM on weekdays, or their elderlyparents to be home between 8-10 PM every day. If the structure's awaystate is set to “AWAY” or “AUTO-AWAY” for the entire duration of theconfigured time window and never enters the “HOME” state, the check-inpolicy fails and the VoIP phone system 3562 may call the user on apre-configured phone number. Once answered, the VoIP phone system 3562may play a pre-recorded voice message alerting the user of thesituation.

In addition, in some embodiments, the user may be presented an option bythe VoIP phone system 3562 to press a button to connect directly to theperson who is being monitored and the VoIP phone system 3562 may patchin the person being monitored by calling their pre-recorded phonenumber. Additionally or alternatively, a push notification and/or emailnotification may be sent to the user through an application tailored forthe VoIP phone system 3562 installed on the user's mobile device (e.g.,smart phone, tablet, laptop, etc.) to alert the user of the situation.

Insurance Service Interaction

In some embodiments, as depicted in FIG. 63, Insurance Service Providers4000 may wish to interact with the smart devices (e.g., 10A and/10B)and/or smart environment 10D. In some embodiments, an insurance serviceprovider application 4002 may interact with the cloud services 145 tocommunicate with the smart devices 10 and/or smart environment 10D. Forexample, the insurance provider application 4002 may request 4004 andobtain 4006 status indicators from hazard detectors 10B, such as smokedetector and/or a carbon dioxide detector. In one embodiment, theinsurance service provider application 4002 may obtain a battery level4008 of the hazard detectors 10B in the smart environment 10D. When thebattery level indicates that low battery level, the insurance companymay mail 4010 new batteries to their customers associated with the smartenvironment 10D.

Further, in some embodiments, when an alarm 4012 is activated by a smartdevice (e.g., hazard detector 10B), the insurance provider application4002 may become aware of a triggered alarm status 4014. After a certainthreshold amount of time (e.g., 24 hours), the Insurance ServiceProvider 4000 may contact the customer associated with the smartenvironment 10D to determine if a claim should be filed, ascertaindamages, etc.

Internet Service Providers

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) may provide a dashboard or other viewthat accesses data via the cloud services 145. For example, the ISPs mayobtain and provide the thermostat 10A state, detectors 10B status,and/or other information at a glance.

Certain partners may be offered click through incentives to drive theircustomers to the thermostat 10A and/or detector 10B manufacturer'sproducts. For example, the partners may provide a thermostat icon and/ora home icon that links to the manufacture's products in the partner'suser interface. If the partner's customers clicks through to themanufacturer's product and/or purchases the manufacturer's product, thepartner may receive an incentive, such as a monetary reward.

Use Case Development Kits

In certain embodiments, developer kits may be provided, which may enablevendors of smart devices to implement the use cases discussed hereinwith their products. A code wrapper for various types of smart-devicesmay be created, which may simplify implementation of the use cases, byproviding out of the box configuration with the cloud services 145, suchthat the use cases may be implemented. For example, code may be providedin the developer kit that is specifically designed for a smart lightbulb. The code may provide out of the box instructions for anapplication, such that the application may configure the smart lightbulb for implementation of one or more of the use cases describedherein. Thus, application developers may make use of these developerkits, to implement use cases for their smart devices with relative ease.The smart light bulb example is just one non-limiting example. Developerkits may be designed for any of the smart devices and/or use casesdiscussed herein.

Video Camera Interaction

As previously mentioned, the smart environment 30 may include one ormore smart video cameras 72. In some embodiments, smart video cameradata (e.g., conditions) may be used to affect changes in a smart deviceand/or smart environment 10, such as thermostat 10A, detectors 10B,and/or other smart devices 10C. Additionally or alternatively, smartdevice and/or smart environment 10 data (e.g., conditions) may be usedto affect changes in the smart video cameras 72. FIG. 61 provides anillustration of relational control between smart video camera 72 and thethermostat 10A and/or detectors 10B in the smart environment 30. Thesmart video camera 72 may exchange information with smart devices 10A,10B, and/or central server or cloud-computing system 64 via cloudservices 145.

In some embodiments, when the user manually sets the home/away status ofthe smart devices 10A/10B, certain alerts provided by the smart videocamera 72 to the user's mobile device 3720 may be enabled or disabled.For example, if the smart devices 10A/10B enter the “AWAY” mode, thenthe smart video camera 72 may provide alerts to the user if a person isdetected in the house. For example, the camera 72 may take a snapshot ofwhether movement is detected and send the image to the user. Further, amanual home/away status change by the user may cause the smart videocamera 72 to activate or deactivate. For example, the smart video camera72 may activate when the user sets the smart devices 10A/10B to “AWAY”mode, and the smart video camera 72 may deactivate when the user setsthe smart devices 10A/10B to “HOME”.

Additionally, in some embodiments, the smart video camera 72 mayactivate when the detectors 10A enter an alarm state (e.g., by detectingCO and/or smoke). Further, the smart video camera 72 may auto-generate avideo clip of the home while the detectors 10A are in the alarm stateand send the video clip to the user. In addition, push notifications maybe sent to the smart video camera 72 and/or mobile device 3720 when thedetectors 10B are in the alarm state. Further, the alarm state detectedby the detectors 10B may be shown in a timeline activity feed displayedon an app tailored for the smart video camera 72, where the app may beinstalled on the mobile device 3720.

Further, in some embodiments, the mobile device 3720 may act as a remotecontrol that triggers a picture capture (or video capture) by the camera72. For example, a control signal may be sent by the mobile device 3720,via the cloud services 145, to the camera 72. Once the control signal isreceived, the camera 72 may enter a picture and/or video capture mode.

In some embodiments, certain motion and/or sound events occur, video,snapshots and/or audio captured by the cameras 72 may be pushed to anoccupant. For example, when a door is opened and/or closed, a doorbellis activated, a door knock is detected (e.g., by a microphone, motionsensor, vibration detection device, etc. at the door), a door lock islocked and/or unlocked, etc., a camera 72 in view of the doorway may beactivated. For example, the camera 72 may be a camera 72 integrated intothe doorbell, the door, or may be a standalone camera 72 near the door.The camera 72 may take a snapshot and/or video feed and send thesnapshot and/or video feed to smart environment 10D occupants (e.g., viaa smart application on the occupant's smart phone, via a television, viahandheld electronic devices, etc.).

Thus, it should be noted that there may be certain activity zones thatare used in triggers. The activity zones may be used to program a rulethat obtains a snapshot, or some other action from the camera 72, when adefined activity occurs in a certain zone. For example, when motion issensed, when a door opens and/or closes, when the lock is unlockedand/or locked, when garage door opens and/or closes, when animal doormoves, when a window is opened, closed, and/or is broken, when lightsare turned on and/or off, and the like in a certain zone, a rule maydictate that a snapshot be taken by the camera 72 and sent to the user.For example, in some embodiments, the event may include a pet walking ina feeding area (activity zone). This may trigger the action of taking asnapshot and sending the snapshot to the user. Further, a more granularevent may include establishing an activity zone around the feeding bowland taking a snapshot when the pet is detected in the activity zone.This may enable a user to determine when their pet is feeding. Further afeeding history report may be generated for the pet based on the eventsdetected in the activity zones.

Additionally, a last available snapshot taken from the camera 72 may besent to the user when the activity occurs in the activity zone. In someembodiments, the rule may indicate that the camera 72 should zoom in onthe activity that triggers the event. In some embodiments, the door,lock, or other devices in the smart environment 30 may request thesnapshot image from the camera 72 when the event occurs in the activityzone and the image may be forwarded to the user. In some embodiments,the camera 72 may be configured to push the snapshot image to the userwhen the event occurs in the activity zone.

The examples provided herein are not meant to be limiting examples.There may be many other actions that may be triggered as a result of anevent occurring in an activity zone. For example, lights may be turnedon or off when movement is detected by the video camera 72. Additionallyand/or alternatively, a door lock may be locked or unlocked, the shadesbe opened or closed, the music may be turned on or off, and so forth.

Additionally, if the door is locked and/or unlocked, a change in statusof a smart lock system may be made available via the cloud services 145.In response to these status changes, proximate cameras 72 may beactivated upon such status changes, to capture video and/or audio ofdoor usage.

Further, in some embodiments, the cameras 72 may be used as motiondetectors. In such embodiments, motion detection status may be madeavailable via the cloud services 145. Lighting systems that are inproximity to the detected motion and are attached to the cloud services145 may be activated, either as a security measure and/or to facilitatemobility of occupants.

Further, in certain embodiments, when unexpected motion is detectedand/or no internal motion is detected for an extended period of time,simulated occupancy may be generated. For example, upon detection ofunexpected motion, lighting systems, speaker systems, audio/visualsystems, etc. may be activated to simulate occupancy. Such simulatedoccupancy may deter unauthorized occupancy of the smart environment 10D.

In some embodiments, the cameras 72 may identify particular occupants ofthe smart environment 10D. For example, facial and/or body recognitionmay be used by the cameras 72 to determine occupants and their locationswithin the smart environment 10D. Accordingly, based upon thisinformation, particular preferences of an occupant may be tailored tothe location of the occupant. For example, if occupant A is upstairs andoccupant B is downstairs, the upstairs thermostat 10A may be tailored tooccupant A's preference. The downstairs thermostat 10A may be tailoredto occupant B's preferences. Further, certain functionality may enablecolor mapping of a person's skin-tone and makeup to provide a modifiedimage with an altered skin shade. The modified image may enable enhancedidentification of the user in the image.

In some embodiments, it may be useful to alter ambient lighting basedupon certain factors that may be observed by the camera 72. For example,in some embodiments, the camera 72 may not sense motion and/or sound fora certain period of time. Upon such an observation, lights in theenvironment 30 may be dimmed or turned off. This may be especiallyuseful when an occupant (e.g., a child) has likely fallen asleep, aslighting may disturb sleep patterns. The modified lighting may befacilitated by the cloud services 145, by providing an indication of thelack of movement in the environment 30 to the cloud services 145. Afterreceiving the indication from the camera 72, the cloud services 145 maysend a control signal to smart lights, indicating that the lights shouldbe dimmed or turned off.

Further, in some embodiments, indoor lighting may be tuned to matchambient lighting of the environment 30. For example, the camera 72 mayprovide an indication of the environment 30's ambient light levels tothe cloud services 145. The cloud services 145 may then provide acontrol signal to one or more smart lights, providing an instruction toadjust to a level corresponding to the ambient light provided by thecamera 72.

Additionally and/or alternatively, third party vendors may use the cloudservices 145 to obtain access points to the cameras 72 and provide linksto the cameras 72 within their applications. For example, a third partygarage door manufacturer may obtain access to an environment 10D'sgarage cameras 72 and provide a link (e.g., a URL) to a feed of thegarage cameras 72 via the garage door manufacturer's own application.

The specific embodiments described above have been shown by way ofexample, and it should be understood that these embodiments may besusceptible to various modifications and alternative forms. It should befurther understood that the claims are not intended to be limited to theparticular forms disclosed, but rather to cover all modifications,equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope ofthis disclosure.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A system, comprising: an applicationprogramming interface (API) client device, comprising a doorbell, thedoorbell comprising a processor configured to: provide submission datato an application programming interface (API), wherein the submissiondata comprises information about the doorbell to be processed by a datamodel associated with the API; receive reception data from the API; orboth, wherein the reception data comprises information about one or moresmart-devices, one or more smart-device environment structurescomprising the smart-devices; wherein a doorbell status of the doorbellis modified based upon the reception data, wherein a smart-device statusis modified based upon the submission data, or both; and wherein thedata model comprises information related to the one or moresmart-devices, the one or more smart-device environment structurescomprising the smart-devices, or both.
 2. The system of claim 1,wherein: the data model comprises a single JavaScript Object Notation(JSON) document describing the one or more smart-device environmentstructures, the one or more smart-devices, or both, and the one or moresmart-devices comprise: a thermostat, a hazard detector, or anycombination thereof; the processor is configured to provide thesubmission data, receive the reception data, or both by providing arequest to a representational state transfer (REST) host, asubscription-based application programming interface (API) host, orboth; and the REST host receives REST-based messages and thesubscription-based API host receives messages in accordance with astandard of the subscription-based API host.
 3. The system of claim 2,wherein the doorbell comprises a light indicator; and wherein thedoorbell status is modified by controlling the light indicator toilluminate based upon the reception data.
 4. The system of claim 3,wherein the reception data comprises an active hazard indication thatindicates that an active hazard is detected by the one or moresmart-devices; and wherein the light indicator is controlled to emit alight pattern, a light color, or both based upon the active hazardindication.
 5. The system of claim 3, wherein the reception datacomprises a historical hazard indication that indicates that a hazardwas previously detected, but is no longer detected, by the one or moresmart-devices; and wherein the light indicator is controlled to emit alight pattern, a light color, or both based upon the historical hazardindication.
 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the reception data isdetermined to be the historical hazard indication by determining whetherthe hazard was detected while an occupancy status of the one or moresmart-device environment structures indicates that the one or moresmart-device environment structures was not occupied.
 7. The system ofclaim 5, wherein the reception data is determined to be the historicalhazard indication by determining whether an occupancy statustransitioned from indicating that the one or more smart-deviceenvironment structures was not occupied to indicating that the one ormore smart-device environment structures is occupied, after the hazardis no longer detected.
 8. The system of claim 3, wherein: the receptiondata comprises: an active hazard indication that indicates that anactive hazard is detected by the one or more smart-devices; a historicalhazard indication that indicates that a hazard was previously detected,but is no longer detected, by the one or more smart-devices; or both;wherein the light indicator is controlled to emit a first light pattern,a first light color, or both based upon the active hazard indication;and wherein the light indicator is controlled to emit a second lightpattern, a second light color, or both based upon the historical hazardindication.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first light colorcomprises red, the first light pattern comprises flashing, or both; andwherein the second color comprises yellow, the second light patterncomprises flashing, or both.
 10. The system of claim 3, comprising ahousehold appliance; wherein the one or more smart-devices comprise thehousehold appliance; wherein the reception data comprises an activeappliance indication that indicates that the household appliance is on;and wherein the light indicator is controlled to emit a light pattern, alight color, or both based upon the active appliance indication.
 11. Thesystem of claim 10, wherein the light indicator is controlled to emitthe light pattern, the light color, or both based upon occupancyinformation about the one or more smart-device environment structuresthat indicates no occupancy within the one or more smart-deviceenvironment structures.
 12. The system of claim 10, wherein thehousehold appliance comprises an oven, a television, a microwave, or anycombination thereof.
 13. A tangible, non-transitory, machine-readablemedium, comprising machine-readable instruction to: provide submissiondata to an application programming interface (API), from a doorbell thatis an API client device, wherein the submission data comprisesinformation about the doorbell to be processed by a data modelassociated with the API; receive reception data from the API; or both,by the doorbell, wherein the reception data comprises information aboutone or more smart-devices, one or more smart-device environmentstructures comprising the smart-devices, or both; and wherein a doorbellstatus of the doorbell is modified based upon the reception data, asmart-device status is modified based upon the submission data, or both;and wherein the data model comprises information related to the one ormore smart-devices, the one or more smart-device environment structurescomprising the smart-devices, or both.
 14. The tangible, non-transitory,machine-readable medium, of claim 13, comprising machine-readableinstructions to: control a light indicator of the doorbell to illuminatebased upon the reception data.
 15. The tangible, non-transitory,machine-readable medium, of claim 13, comprising machine-readableinstructions to: upon reception of an active hazard indication thatindicates that an active hazard is detected by the one or moresmart-devices, control the light indicator to emit a first lightpattern, a first light color, or both based upon the active hazardindication; and upon reception of a historical hazard indication thatindicates that a hazard was previously detected, but is no longerdetected, by the one or more smart-devices, control the light indicatorto emit a second light pattern, a second light color, or both based uponthe historical hazard indication; wherein the first light pattern isdifferent than the second light pattern, the first light color isdifferent than the second light color, or both.
 16. The tangible,non-transitory, machine-readable medium, of claim 15, comprisingmachine-readable instructions to: upon reception of an active applianceindication that indicates that a household appliance is on, control thelight indicator to emit a third light pattern, a third light color, orboth based upon the active appliance indication.
 17. The tangible,non-transitory, machine-readable medium, of claim 16, wherein the thirdlight pattern is different than the first and second light pattern, thethird light color is different than the first and second light color, orboth.
 18. The tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium, ofclaim 16, comprising machine-readable instructions to: control the lightindicator to emit the third light pattern, the third light color, orboth based upon the active appliance indication only when anon-occupancy indication regarding the one or more smart-deviceenvironment structures is present.
 19. The tangible, non-transitory,machine-readable medium, of claim 15, comprising machine-readableinstructions to: control the light indicator to emit the second lightpattern, the second light color, or both based upon the historicalhazard indication only when the hazard was detected when a non-occupancyindication regarding the one or more smart-device environment structureswas present.
 20. A processor-implemented method, comprising: providingsubmission data to an application programming interface (API), from adoorbell that is an API client device, wherein the submission datacomprises information about the doorbell to be processed by a data modelassociated with the API; receiving reception data from the API; or both,by the doorbell, wherein the reception data comprises information aboutone or more smart-devices, one or more smart-device environmentstructures comprising the smart-devices, or both; and wherein a doorbellstatus of the doorbell is modified based upon the reception data;wherein a smart-device status is modified based upon the submissiondata; or both; and wherein the data model comprises information relatedto the one or more smart-devices, the one or more smart-deviceenvironment structures comprising the smart-devices, or both.
 21. Theprocessor-implemented method of claim 20, comprising: upon reception ofan active hazard indication that indicates that an active hazard isdetected by the one or more smart-devices, control a light indicator ofthe doorbell to emit a first light pattern, a first light color, or bothbased upon the active hazard indication; and upon reception of ahistorical hazard indication that indicates that a hazard was previouslydetected, but is no longer detected, by the one or more smart-devices,control the light indicator to emit a second light pattern, a secondlight color, or both based upon the historical hazard indication; andupon reception of an active appliance indication that indicates that ahousehold appliance is on, control the light indicator to emit a thirdlight pattern, a third light color, or both based upon the activeappliance indication; wherein the first light pattern, second lightpattern, and third light pattern are different, the first light color,second light color, and third light color are different, or both. 22.The processor-implemented method of claim 21, comprising: when anon-occupancy indication regarding the one or more smart-deviceenvironment structures is present and the doorbell is pushed, implementan occupancy simulation in the one or more smart-device environmentstructures.
 23. The processor-implemented method of claim 21, whereinthe occupancy simulation is implemented by: operating one or more audiodevices within the one or more smart-device environment structures;operating one or more smart shades in the one or more smart-deviceenvironment structures; operating one or more lights within the one ormore smart-device environment structures; or any combination thereof.24. The processor-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the occupancysimulation is implemented by: after a random time delay from thedoorbell being pushed, operating the one or more audio devices, the oneor more smart shades, the one or more lights, or any combinationthereof.
 25. The processor-implemented method of claim 24, wherein therandom time delay is within a predetermined range of time.